The yen fell to its weakest level since 1986, sliding as far as 161.96 per
dollar, down about 0.1%, breaching the 161.95 mark reached during July 2024
intervention. The drop has raised domestic concern and left traders watching
closely for possible official intervention. The Bank of Japan raised its policy
rate to 1% on June 16, the highest since 1995, but the move has so far had
limited impact as markets expect the Federal Reserve to remain hawkish. The
government plans to call for “appropriate” monetary management in its basic
policy guideline, a measure that appears aimed at dissuading the BOJ from
further rate hikes. Japan carried out a record FX intervention of 11.73 trillion
yen earlier, and Ministry of Finance reserve data suggest Tokyo likely used
foreign securities holdings, including US Treasuries, to defend the yen.