Japan did not intervene in foreign exchange markets in May, the Finance Ministry said Monday.
The announcement confirmed speculation that the ministry stepped away from yen-weakening operations as the dollar remained firm against the yen.
The ministry, which releases monthly data on currency market interventions, said it did not carry out such operations between April 28 and May 27, extending the intervention-free period that began March 17.
Japan used more than 35 trillion yen in the 15 months beginning in January 2003 to stem a sharp rise in the yen, which hurts the nation's exports, the main engine of the recovery.