FX.co ★ Japan Signals Readiness to Act on Yen Weakness

Japan’s Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said on Wednesday that the government remains ready to intervene in currency markets if excessive exchange-rate movements threaten financial stability, after the yen weakened beyond JPY 163 per U.S. dollar—its lowest level in roughly 40 years. Speaking to reporters, Katayama declined to comment on any specific exchange-rate level but reiterated that authorities are prepared to take action if needed. The remarks underscore the government’s long-standing stance of closely monitoring currency developments and indicate that policymakers remain willing to step into the foreign-exchange market should volatility become excessive, even as they refrain from identifying a particular threshold that would trigger intervention.