News that the economy grew in the April-June quarter for the first time in more than a year provided an opportunity for the Liberal Democratic Party to direct voters' attention to its measures to fight the recession.

While economists acknowledged that the stimulus package did have a positive impact, they also warned that the outlook remains shaky and people are probably not feeling the rebound as strongly as the GDP data showed, with the unemployment rate standing at a six-year high and wages declining, including a sharp cut in summer bonuses.

"The LDP probably wants to emphasize its contribution to the 3.7 percent growth, but since the beneficiaries of the current recovery are limited, its claims may not resonate with many households or voters," said Kyohei Morita, chief economist at Barclays Capital Japan Ltd.