If the currency exchange rate goes from 115 yen against the dollar to, say, 145 yen, that pushes up import prices by about 30%." People across Japan are feeling the effects, with shoppers ...

Japan’s top currency diplomat Masato Kanda said a weak yen has both merits and demerits for the economy due to the country’s changing export patterns and increasing reliance on imports.

The U.S. dollar is the dominant currency in forex markets. Other actively traded currencies include the euro, Japanese yen, Australian dollar, Canadian dollar, and British pound. The Japanese yen ...