FILE - In this Oct. 29, 2012 file photo, a man inspects Honda vehicles displayed in front of Honda Motor Co. headquarters in Tokyo. Honda's quarterly profit surged nearly 63 percent as production recovered after disruptions from natural disasters. The Japanese automaker reported a 77.4 billion yen (US$850 million) profit for the October-December period Thursday, as sales jumped nearly 25 percent to 2.4 trillion yen (US$26 billion). (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara, File)
News Summary: Japan economy grew in last quarter
Published: 06:19:23 PM, Fri 08 March 2013 UTC
RISING SOME: Japan's economy did better than first thought in the last quarter of 2012, eking out a slight expansion instead of shrinking.
SAYONARA RECESSION? The government upgraded its annualized growth figure for the fourth quarter to 0.2 percent, suggesting the world's No. 3 economy is emerging from recession.
YEN FOR GROWTH: A sharp weakening in Japan's currency in recent months is seen as a boost for the country's export manufacturers — especially big names like Toyota Motor Corp. and Sony Corp., but it also has raised costs for imports of fuel and other commodities.
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