Japan's economy shrank for the first time in a year and at a faster pace than expected, data for the March quarter showed on Friday, underscoring the fragile nature of its recovery now under threat from U.

On an annualized basis, Japan's GDP contracted 0.7% in the first quarter, also more than the 0.2% fall expected by the Reuters poll.

The government has reported that Japan's economy contracted at an annual rate of 0.7% in the first quarter, as U.S.