According to Teppei Ino, Head of Global Market Research at MUFG Bank in Tokyo, the Japanese Ministry of Finance is likely to issue more forceful verbal warnings regarding the yen if the currency weakens beyond the 160 level against the US dollar. Ino made these remarks during a telephone interview.

Ino noted that comments made earlier on Friday by Japan's Finance Minister, Shunichi Suzuki, downplayed the impact of the currency's depreciation. He suggested that the minister's statement indicated the movement was due to US dollar strength rather than yen weakness.