Japan Contraction Piles Pressure on Noda, Central Bank: Economy

Japan’s economy shrank last quarter as exports tumbled and consumer spending slumped, putting pressure on the central bank to add stimulus and hurting Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda’s record as he prepares for elections.

Gross domestic product fell an annualized 3.5 percent, the most since the earthquake and tsunami in early 2011, Cabinet Office data showed today in Tokyo. The median of 23 estimates in a Bloomberg News survey was for a 3.4 percent decline. Shipments to Asia, Europe and the U.S. all slid, as did capital spending.