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USD/JPY rises above 161 as yen stays near 40-year low

USD/JPY rises above 161 as yen stays near 40-year low

The dollar reached 161.12 yen on June 19, the highest since July 2024, as wide U.S.-Japan rate differentials kept pressure on Japan’s currency despite Bank of Japan tightening and finance ministry intervention.

Fact Check
Trading Economics market data directly confirms the yen weakened beyond 161 per dollar on June 19, 2026, hitting its lowest level since July 2024. Multiple financial news outlets (Gate News citing Jin10/Jinshi, RootData) independently report USD/JPY broke above 161 for the first time since July 2024. The July 2024 historical reference is accurate, as that is when USD/JPY previously reached ~161. The convergence of a primary market-data source and multiple corroborating reports gives high confidence.
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Summary

USD/JPY climbed above 161 for the first time since July 2024, trading at 161.12 on June 19 as the yen remained near a nearly 40-year low. The move highlighted continued pressure on Japan’s currency from wide rate differentials, even after the Bank of Japan raised interest rates to a 31-year high last week and Japan’s finance ministry intervened repeatedly in the market. Traders were watching 161.95 as a possible level for fresh intervention, while CME FedWatch showed the probability of a 25-basis-point Federal Reserve hike in July rising to 38.5% from 8% a week earlier.

Terms & Concepts
  • USD/JPY: The exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and Japanese yen.
  • basis-point: One hundredth of a percentage point, used for interest-rate changes.
  • CME FedWatch: A market-based tool tracking expectations for Federal Reserve rate moves.