A money dealer takes a quick lunch beneath an exchange quotation board flashing a dollar rate against the yen at a Tokyo brokerage April 1. The U.S. dollar wiped out earlier gains and fell back to near the 133 yen level following comments by a senior Finance Ministry official. Eisuke Sakakibara, vice finance minister for international affairs, reportedly said weakness of the Japanese currency beyond 133 yen to the dollar is excessive.

JAPAN