Prime Minister TAKAICHI said on Friday the government will continue to closely
monitor exchange-rate and price trends and take appropriate measures, responding
in the Diet to an opposition question on economic policy and risks from yen
depreciation. She said fiscal policy decisions will take into account a range of
factors, including interest-rate movements and yen swings. TAKAICHI, previously
a proponent of looser fiscal and monetary settings, is facing market pressure to
adjust policy direction.