TOKYO, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- Japanese authorities spent a record 15.4 trillion yen (about 96.5 billion U.S. dollars) over the past month to stem its home currency's slide, the Finance Ministry said Friday.
Ministry data showed that the market interventions happened between July 30 and Aug. 26 but did not specify exact dates, with the amount topping the previous monthly record of 11.73 trillion yen logged in the April-May period this year.
A Japanese government source has confirmed that the country's authorities intervened in the currency market on July 30 to buy yen after the unit hit 163.99 per U.S. dollar, its weakest level in around 40 years, on July 23.
On Aug. 3, Tokyo and Washington confirmed that the two governments had jointly intervened to boost the yen during New York trading hours on July 31, marking the first coordinated move in 28 years.
The July 31 intervention led the U.S. dollar to plunge briefly to the lower 155 yen range, but it has since regained ground, now hovering at the 159 yen level. ■