TOKYO, May 29 (Reuters) - Japan's industrial output jumped 5.2 percent in April, much more than expected and the second straight month of increase, as companies continue to restock after a heavy run-down of inventories late last year.
Manufacturers forecast further rises in coming months, in more encouraging signs for an economy that suffered a record contraction in the first quarter.
The median forecast by analysts polled by Reuters had been for a 3.2 percent rise. It followed a 1.6 percent rise in March.
Manufacturers surveyed by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry expect output to rise 8.8 percent in May and rise 2.7 percent in June, the data showed.
Exports have shown modest signs of recovery in April with shipments to China declining at a slower annual pace, although there was no indication yet of a rebound in Western demand.
Industrial output fell a record 10.1 percent in January as companies scrambled to meet a plunge in demand since the collapse of Lehman Brothers sent the world economy into a spiral in September. (Reporting by Tetsushi Kajimoto)