Japan’s foreign workers have found their ability to save and send money home curtailed in recent months as the yen’s rapid slide against the dollar erodes the value of overseas remittances — a cause of concern for the individuals themselves and for some of the nation's small and medium-size business owners.
From a starting point of ¥115 to the dollar at the beginning of the year, the yen reached a three-decade low of almost ¥152 to the dollar at the end of last month. And despite the Bank of Japan’s reported purchase of ¥6.35 trillion ($42.3 billion) in stealth currency intervention measures throughout October, the yen is still hovering at around ¥147 to the dollar.
Nepalese data entry operator Sajani Shahi, 30, said the yen's fall has impacted her plans to send money home to her family each month.