Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Kato and top currency diplomat Masato Kanda expressed serious concern over recent unilateral and sharp movements in the foreign exchange market, particularly the yen's depreciation. Kato indicated that such movements are undesirable and do not reflect economic fundamentals, suggesting a readiness to take appropriate action against excessive market fluctuations. Kanda also voiced his concern over these movements. The yen weakened to as low as 157.93 against the dollar, prompting verbal interventions from Japanese officials. Meanwhile, the Tokyo stock market saw gains, with the Nikkei Stock Average closing up 76.37 points at 38,889.95, supported by a weaker yen and rising U.S. stocks. The yen later recovered slightly to 157.15 against the dollar following the officials' comments.