For several years, Masato Kanda had a grueling schedule, often joking, “Three hours a night is an exaggeration.” Speaking to the BBC from Tokyo, the former vice finance minister for international affairs recounted his relentless routine, balancing crucial responsibilities that made sleep elusive. As Japan's top currency diplomat, Kanda faced the challenge of countering currency market speculators, particularly during his tenure when the yen's value plummeted, leading to a cost of living crisis. Historically, Japan's authorities have intervened to weaken the yen to benefit exporters like Toyota and Sony, but this time, the weakening yen raised the costs of essential imports, including food and fuel. Over his three years in the role, the yen depreciated by more than 45% against the U.S. dollar. To combat this decline, Kanda deployed an estimated 25 trillion yen (around $173 billion) to stabilize the currency—Japan's first intervention of this scale in nearly 25 years. Ma...
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