Japan's economy contracted an annualized real 0.7 percent in the first quarter of 2025, amid stagnant private consumption and falling exports, government data showed Friday. The latest real gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate marked the first quarterly contraction in four quarters, according to the Cabinet Office. On a quarter-on-quarter basis, GDP in the January-March period, adjusted for inflation, declined 0.2 percent, the office said in a preliminary report. On a quarterly basis, exports fell 0.6 percent, while imports, which negatively affect GDP, climbed 2.9 percent. Private consumption, which accounts for more than half of Japan's economic output, rose 0.04 percent, due to the impact of higher prices, the office said. Nominal GDP increased 0.8 percent from the October-December period, or 3.1 percent at an annualized rate. SHOTLIST: FILE: Tokyo, Japan - Date Unknown 1. Various of National Diet building; 2. Japanese national flag; 3. Street views; FILE: Tokyo, Japan - Aug 24, 2021 4. Various of traffic, pedestrians; FILE: Tokyo, Japan - Date Unknown 5. Various of customers in supermarket; goods for sale; FILE: Japan - Aug 12, 2020 6. Various of vehicles being manufactured in factory; FILE: Japan - Exact Location and Date Unknown 7. Various of containers at port, gantry cranes handling containers. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]