Japanese industrial output rose 2.0 percent in May from the previous month, up for the fourth consecutive month, government data showed on Friday, a sign that a pickup in exports is underpinning factory output and the broader economy. The rise compared with a 0.2 percent increase projected by economists in a Reuters poll, and followed a 0.9 percent rise in the previous month, the data from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry showed. Manufacturers surveyed by the ministry expect production to fall 2.4 percent in June but rise 3.3 percent in July, the data showed. The ministry maintained its assessment of ... (full story)