Growth in Japan's services sector gathered pace in August, with the Flash Japan Services PMI Business Activity Index, compiled by S&P Global, expanding to 52.3 from 51.2 in July, according to data released on Friday.
A reading above 50 indicates an overall expansion in service sector activity, while a figure below signals a contraction.
New business placed with services companies rose at the second fastest rate since February, after June, while they witnessed a steeper fall in new export business.