Kyodo News
Japan's foreign-exchange reserves totaled $881.27 billion at the end of September, up $2.53 billion from August and posting a record high for the seventh straight month, the Finance Ministry said Friday.
The rise stemmed mainly from valuation gains on Japan's holdings of U.S. Treasury instruments driven by U.S. interest rate falls, a ministry official said.
Japan had $737.91 billion in foreign securities as of Sept. 30, up from $735.46 billion a month earlier.
Foreign currency deposits came to $123.20 billion, up from $122.40 billion.
Of the deposits, $7.49 billion were held in foreign central banks and the Basel-based Bank for International Settlements, $25.86 billion in Japanese banks and $89.86 billion in foreign financial institutions.
Japan had $14.74 billion in gold, compared with $15.34 billion as of Aug. 31.
It had $2.37 billion in International Monetary Fund reserve positions, down from $2.47 billion, and $2.73 billion in IMF special drawing rights, down from $2.75 billion.
Japan's foreign-exchange reserves consist of securities and deposits denominated in foreign currencies, IMF reserve positions, IMF special drawing rights and gold.