Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said Japan is ready to take appropriate measures if necessary, after the yen weakened to its lowest level in 39 years, trading around 163 yen per US dollar. He declined to comment specifically on foreign exchange market movements but stressed that the government's stance remains unchanged. Kyodo News reported that in Tokyo trading this morning, the US dollar moved in the lower 163 yen range after breaching the 163 yen level in New York trading overnight, as escalating tensions in the Middle East prompted investors to seek the dollar as a safe-haven asset.