The yen jumped after stronger intervention warnings from Japanese officials, pulling USD/JPY back below 157 after earlier trading above 160.
The dollar's earlier strength against the yen reversed sharply on April 30 after Japanese officials stepped up warnings about possible intervention.
Earlier in the session, Reuters reported that the Federal Reserve's steady-rate decision and hawkish tone had kept the dollar near a more than two-week high, with USD/JPY breaking above 160. But that move did not hold.
Later Reuters coverage said the yen surged after officials issued their strongest intervention warning yet, and USD/JPY fell back to around 156.985. Japan's finance minister said the timing for decisive action was nearing.
The shift matters because a move above 160 has long been treated as a danger zone for the yen, raising the odds of official action from Tokyo. The latest price swing shows how quickly the pair can reverse once intervention risk becomes the market's main focus.
For now, the story is no longer just about the Fed supporting the dollar. It is about how far Japanese authorities are willing to go to slow the yen's decline, and whether traders will test that line again.
Revision note
Updated with yen reversal after intervention warnings.