Japan's industrial production picked up in April with a 1.7 percent rise over a month earlier, official data showed Friday, as Tokyo works to stoke growth in the world's third-largest economy.

In a statement, the economy ministry said the month-on-month rise was evidence that "industrial production shows signs of picking up at a moderate pace".

However a survey of manufacturers released with the data showed producers were cautious, predicting that factory output for May would be flat and then fall 1.4 percent in June.

Separate data Friday showed that Japan's consumer prices fell 0.4 percent year-on-year in April, underscoring the country's tough task in pulling the economy out of years of deflation that have crimped private spending and business investment.

Meanwhile, the nation's jobless rate was flat at 4.1 percent in April, the lowest level since November 2008, according to official data. (AFP)