According to Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), retail sales in Japan were up at an annual rate of 0.5% in February, missing expectations for a 1.7% gain, after a 0.1% fall in January.
Sales at large-scale retailers increased 2.2% year-on-year in February, after a 0.9% rise in January.
On a monthly basis, retail sales were down 2.3% in February, after a 0.4% decrease in January.