The statement is assessed as highly likely to be true based on overwhelming and consistent evidence from multiple authoritative financial data providers and news sources. Several primary sources directly confirm the USD/JPY exchange rate was in the 156 range. For instance, a primary market data feed from Bloomberg shows a specific rate of 156.31. A news report from Nikkei Asia explicitly states that the yen weakened to the 156 per dollar level. Furthermore, another report from a trading-focused outlet confirms the rate was holding above 156, mentioning a specific level near 156.54, which strongly supports the "upper 156 range" part of the statement.While one financial data platform provided a quote of 155.85, this does not significantly contradict the claim. Currency exchange rates are highly volatile and can fluctuate between these levels within a short period. This single data point is outweighed by the multiple direct confirmations from other high-authority sources.The credibility of the claim is further enhanced by the inclusion of official data sources like the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis (FRED) and other reputable platforms like Investing.com and TradingView, which serve as primary repositories for this type of data. Contextual articles from Reuters also support the plausibility of such a rate by explaining the economic conditions leading to a weaker yen. The convergence of direct numerical evidence, reputable financial reporting, and plausible economic context results in a high confidence assessment.