Aftercontractingby 3.3% inthethirdquarteroflastyear, shrankby 4/10 of a percentinthefourthquarter - therecession -a surprisetoanalystswhohadbeenpredictingatleast 1% ofgrowth.
astheBankofJapanbuckedtheglobaltrendofcentralbankshikinginterestratestofightinflationinsteadofmaintainingnegativeratesin a bidtoraisestagnantwagesandboostweakdomesticdemandfortheexporteconomy.