TOKYO, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Bank of Japan said Monday that Japan's bank lending expanded to 394.83 trillion yen (3.64 trillion U.S. dollars) in August, up 2.0 percent on a year-on-year basis.

    The average daily balance of bank lending, excluding that of "shinkin" credit banks, saw a 31st consecutive monthly rise, said the bank.

    It attributed the increased bank lending to the robust corporate demand for short-term operating capital as well as steady household demand for housing loans.

    The combined balance of bank lending, including that of shinkin banks, also grew for 31 months in a row, increasing by 1.8 percent to 457.39 trillion yen (4.23 trillion dollars).