Takaichi talks up weak yen, while trying to curb declineReuters, TOKYOJapanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has talked up the benefits of a weaker yen in a campaign speech, adopting a tone at odds with her finance ministry, which has refused to rule out any options to counter excessive foreign exchange volatility. “I did not say which is better or worse — a strong yen or a weak yen,” Takaichi said. The government is monitoring financial markets and, as prime minister, she would refrain from commenting specifically on the matter, she added. While the weak yen can lead to higher import prices, impacting people’s lives and businesses, it can also boost domestic investments, exports and overseas income, Takaichi said. The account balance was at about ￥187 trillion (US$1.21 trillion) as of March last year, Japanese Ministry of Finance data showed.

Source: Taipei Times February 01, 2026 17:15 UTC