USD/JPY Price Forecast: Holds above 161.50; eyes multi-decade top despite intervention fears
- USD/JPY holds steady following the previous day’s late pullback from the 162.00 neighborhood.
- Intervention fears keep the JPY bears on the back foot and act as a headwind for spot prices.
- Economic concerns and the wide US-Japan rate differential offer support amid a bullish setup.
The USD/JPY pair enters a bullish consolidation phase during the Asian session on Tuesday and currently trades just above 161.50 amid mixed fundamental cues. Spot prices, however, remain well within striking distance of a 40-year peak, around the 162.00 neighborhood set in July 2024, as traders remain on edge amid fears that Japanese authorities will step in to prop up the Japanese Yen (JPY).
Local broadcaster TBS reported that Japan's Finance Minister Katayama held an online meeting with US Treasury Secretary Bessent to discuss the JPY's sharp decline and potential intervention. Adding to this, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said that he will take appropriate action against the foreign exchange (FX) moves if needed. This holds back JPY bears from placing fresh bets and caps the upside for the USD/JPY pair.
However, economic risks stemming from the Middle East conflict and energy supply disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz continue to undermine the JPY. Apart from this, a persistently wide Japan-US rate differential keeps the JPY bulls on the back foot. The US Dollar (USD), on the other hand, stands firm near its highest level since May 2025, lending additional support to the USD/JPY pair.
Last week's sustained breakout through the previous intervention zone, around the 160.50-160.60 area, comes on top of the recent solid bounce from the 200-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) and keeps the broader uptrend intact. That said, the Relative Strength Index (14) is hovering in overbought territory near 70, which hints at risk of consolidation or a corrective pause rather than a confirmed near-term top for the USD/JPY pair.
Meanwhile, the Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) indicator remains positive above the zero line, reinforcing the underlying upward pressure. In the meantime, the structural pivot around 160.60-160.50 should protect the immediate downside. Moreover, the 200-day EMA at 156.47 should provide a deeper layer of trend support if a sharper corrective pullback unfolds amid elevated RSI readings.
(The technical analysis of this story was written with the help of an AI tool.)
USD/JPY daily chart
Japanese Yen Price Last 30 days
The table below shows the percentage change of Japanese Yen (JPY) against listed major currencies last 30 days. Japanese Yen was the strongest against the New Zealand Dollar.
| USD | EUR | GBP | JPY | CAD | AUD | NZD | CHF | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USD | 1.73% | 1.49% | 1.66% | 2.90% | 2.62% | 3.16% | 2.85% | |
| EUR | -1.73% | -0.24% | -0.09% | 1.12% | 0.88% | 1.42% | 1.11% | |
| GBP | -1.49% | 0.24% | 0.21% | 1.43% | 1.16% | 1.68% | 1.39% | |
| JPY | -1.66% | 0.09% | -0.21% | 1.17% | 0.99% | 1.51% | 1.10% | |
| CAD | -2.90% | -1.12% | -1.43% | -1.17% | -0.17% | 0.33% | -0.04% | |
| AUD | -2.62% | -0.88% | -1.16% | -0.99% | 0.17% | 0.53% | 0.22% | |
| NZD | -3.16% | -1.42% | -1.68% | -1.51% | -0.33% | -0.53% | -0.31% | |
| CHF | -2.85% | -1.11% | -1.39% | -1.10% | 0.04% | -0.22% | 0.31% |
The heat map shows percentage changes of major currencies against each other. The base currency is picked from the left column, while the quote currency is picked from the top row. For example, if you pick the Japanese Yen from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the US Dollar, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent JPY (base)/USD (quote).
Author
Haresh Menghani
FXStreet
Haresh Menghani is a detail-oriented professional with 10+ years of extensive experience in analysing the global financial markets.
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