Japan's Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato issued a warning regarding speculative selling of the yen as it approached a critical level of 160 per dollar. The yen has recently weakened to its lowest point since July 2024, hitting 158.45 against the dollar. Kato expressed concerns about the instability in currency movements, emphasizing the need for the yen to reflect economic fundamentals. He noted that the government is alarmed by the recent volatility in the foreign exchange market, particularly actions driven by speculators. This marks the first warning to speculators in 2025, as the yen's decline raises fears of potential intervention by the Bank of Japan (BoJ). In related comments, Economy Minister Akazawa highlighted the importance of stabilizing inflation around 2% to achieve wage growth that outpaces inflation.