Japan's foreign exchange reserves reached a record-high $364.22 billion at the end of January, up $2.58 billion from a month earlier for the fifth month of increase, the Finance Ministry said Wednesday.
The reserves consist of securities and deposits denominated in foreign currencies, International Monetary Fund reserve positions, IMF special drawing rights and gold.
The rise largely stems from asset management profits, a ministry official said, adding that the ministry did not intervene in foreign exchange markets during the October-December period.
It releases currency intervention data every three months.
In the reporting month, Japan had $281.9 billion in foreign securities and $67.99 billion in foreign currency deposits. Of the deposits, $8.09 billion is in foreign central banks and the Bank for International Settlements, $39.28 billion in Japanese banks and $20.62 billion in foreign banks.
Japan also had $5.41 billion in IMF reserve positions, $2.42 billion in IMF SDRs and $6.49 billion in gold.
Based on data available at the end of November, Japan was the largest holder of foreign reserves of any country or territory for the 14th straight month.
The 11-member euro zone ranked second with $262.4 billion at the end of October. The zone comprises Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.
Among other major holders of foreign reserves, China had $163.1 billion at the end of September and Taiwan $109.6 billion at the end of October. They were followed by Hong Kong with $102.7 billion at the end of October and South Korea with $93.2 billion at the end of November.