Japan's factory output rose 1.4% in October: government

Japan's factory output rose 1.4 percent in October from the previous month, marking the second straight monthly rise, the government said Monday.

Increasing production of general machinery, transport equipment and electronic parts contributed to the data, according to the ministry of economy, trade and industry.

Looking ahead, the ministry expected production in November to rise 0.2 percent, but fall 0.9 percent in December.

Japan's production overall is making "one step forward and one step back," the ministry said.

The latest announcement came days after fresh data showed falling prices and weak household spending in October, despite Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's efforts to prop up the world's number three economy with aggressive monetary easing and generous fiscal spending.

Earlier this month, official figures showed that Japan's gross domestic product (GDP) shrank 0.2 percent in the July-September period, or an annualised contraction of 0.8 percent, marking the second straight quarterly decline.