However, the figures published on Friday by the ministry of economy, trade and industry, also show a fall of 0.1 percent compared to the same month in 2014.
The industries that contributed most to the month-on-month rise were electronic components and devices, electrical machinery and processed metals.
According to a survey of major companies carried out by the ministry, industrial production is expected to increase a further 0.5 percent in May and drop again by a similar amount in June.
Industrial production, which measures the pace of Japanese factories, is considered key in anticipating the progress of an economy highly dependent on the manufacturing sector.