The yen breached the 157 per dollar mark on Wednesday after repeated
exchange‑rate warnings from the Japanese government and quarter‑end funding
flows. In Asian trade the currency had earlier rallied about 0.6% to 156.38,
making it the strongest G10 performer. A senior Japanese currency official said
Tokyo and Washington have recently sent "very clear" signals on concern over yen
depreciation. Prime Minister Takaichi said Trump raised worries about yen
weakness during a meeting last week. OCBC strategist Moh Siong Sim said markets
appear to be shifting toward expectations of policy more supportive of the yen,
and Sumitomo Mitsui Trust trading head Koike Shinya flagged quarter‑end flows as
an additional driver.
