Japan's industrial output fell for the first time in five months in June.

That has raised fresh concerns over the nation's ability to pull itself out of recession.

Surging exports to the US have been the main prop of Japan's economic recovery.

But the yen's surge against the dollar and uncertainty over the US economy has raised doubts over whether demand from America will continue to buoy Japan's exports.

Factory output in June was 0.7% lower than in May, the latest figures have revealed.

Slowing momentum

Japan's ministry of Economy of Trade and Industry has still forecast rising output for the next two months.

"The forecasts for July and August are positive, so the uptrend in production is not over," said Tomoko Fujii, an economist at Nikko Salomon Smith Barney.

"However, the steepest acceleration is over and the momentum is slowing," he said.

Despite weaker than expected June figures, the increase in industrial output for the April-June quarter is the biggest in 15 years.

That is largely due to an impressive 4.1% increase in May.

Depressed consumer demand in Japan means that the economy is heavily dependent on the strength of exports.