A passerby walks past a currency indicator board in Tokyo, Japan, 30 June 2026. The Japanese yen fell into the 162-yen range against the US dollar in Tokyo, marking its weakest level since December 1986. Photo by JIJI PRESS / EPA
June 30 (Asia Today) -- The Japanese yen fell beyond 162 per U.S. dollar Tuesday to its weakest level in nearly 40 years, while renewed dollar strength also kept the South Korean won under pressure near 1,540 per dollar.
The yen weakened to as low as 162.41 per dollar in Tokyo, its lowest level since December 1986, as traders sold the Japanese currency and bought dollars. The decline increased speculation that Japan's government and central bank could again intervene in the foreign exchange market.
Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama declined to comment on a specific exchange-rate level during a news conference following a Cabinet meeting Tuesday but reiterated that authorities were prepared to respond appropriately to excessive volatility.
Japanese officials generally avoid identifying a fixed exchange rate that would trigger intervention, focusing instead on the speed of currency movements and signs of speculative trading.
