The Japanese economy expanded for the third straight quarter in the July-September period, driven by a rise in exports, but consumer spending and capital investment lacked vigor, government data showed Monday. 
The country's gross domestic product grew an annualized 2.2% in real terms, beating the average market forecast of 0.8% growth in Japan's (Kyodo) News survey. The expansion in the July-September period corresponds to a 0.5% increase from the previous quarter, Japan's Cabinet Office said. 
Although the Japanese economy reported the third quarterly rise, analysts say it may face difficulty in gathering momentum amid weak domestic demand and a strong yen