The yen has come largely unscathed through a recent spate of unnerving economic and corporate news, including the collapse of Sogo Co.
Sogo's failure has refocused attention on the nation's structural problems, fueling speculation that credit rating agencies would downgrade Japan's sovereign debt rating.
Then came news earlier this month that the Bank of Japan decided to end its "zero-interest-rate" policy, a move widely feared to undermine efforts to get the economy back on track.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.