Japan's annualized real GDP up 1.9%

Japan's economy grew an annualized real 1.9 percent in the third quarter of this year, marking the fourth straight quarter of increase, according to the Japanese government on Thursday. The growth in the third quarter's inflation-adjusted gross domestic product (GDP), the total value of goods and services produced domestically, corresponds to a 0.5 percent expansion from the previous quarter, said Japan's Cabinet office in a preliminary report. However, the growth slowed from the 3.8-percent growth in the previous quarter due to a downgrade exports from July to September. The exports decreased 0.6 percent in the span, caused by a slowdown in emerging economies. Consumption increased a real 0.1 percent for the fourth consecutive quarter of growth, but slowed compared with the 0.6 percent increase in previous quarter. Akira Amari, Japan's state minister for economic and fiscal policy, said the third quarter's GDP growth showed Japan's economy remains on upward trend, adding the country will watch downside risk from global economic slowdown.