The yen fell through ¥145 per dollar for the first time since November on Friday, nearing a level where Japan intervened last year to support the currency for the first time since 1998.
The Japanese currency dropped as much as 0.2% from a day before to ¥145.07 amid a reignited focus on the monetary policy divergence between the East Asian nation and its major peers. Its decline to an almost eight-month low has spurred reminders from government officials that they are watching moves and stand ready to act.
Last year, the currency’s slide toward ¥146 triggered intervention, and in the buildup to that there were repeated official warnings.