Japan Dec retail sales rise 2.5 pct year/year

TOKYO, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Japanese retail sales rose
2.5 percent in December from a year earlier, government data
showed on Friday, helped by sales of winter clothing and cars.
The climb was greater than a median market forecast for a
2.3 percent annual increase, the data from the Ministry of
Economy, Trade and Industry showed.
Details were as follows (previous figures may be revised;
economists' median forecast in parentheses):

-----------------------------------------------------
Retail sales DECEMBER NOVEMBER OCTOBER
-----------------------------------------------------
year/year +2.5(+2.3) -2.2 +1.9
month/month +0.3 -2.0 +1.4
-----------------------------------------------------
To view full tables, go to the website of the Ministry of
Economy, Trade and Industry at: