The yen briefly weakened past 163 for the first time in 39 years, spreading alarm within the government. A government official familiar with market trends noted that the current yen weakness is driven by speculative moves, and suggested that it cannot be explained solely by rising tensions in the Middle East. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has championed responsible active fiscal policy and is said to have no intention of changing fiscal policy, leaving a sense of helplessness as the government's stopgap measures are seen through by the market. Experts are calling for the Bank of Japan to accept a policy rate hike and for fiscal concerns to be dispelled, while also pointing to the high hurdles for currency intervention.