A preliminary Finance Ministry report released Monday put the nation's current account surplus at 899.8 billion yen in January, compared with a 132.7 billion yen deficit for the same month last year, an increase that analysts say can be attributed to a recovery in exports.

It marked the 12th straight month of a surplus.

The value of exports jumped 40.6 percent to 4.617 trillion yen, marking the highest growth rate since 1986, when such comparisons were first made. Automobile and semiconductor exports saw a drastic increase.

Imports increased by 7.1 percent to 4.42 trillion yen, producing 197.2 billion yen in trade surplus.

The return to the black for Japan's trade balance comes on the back of a recovery in exports to the United States, according to the analysts.