Japan's weak yen hindered by costly energy, raw material imports

TOKYO -- As the Japanese currency endures a prolonged slump, an often overlooked factor involves the yen selling linked to trade and the related outflow of money from Japan.

Japan's current account surplus topped 25 trillion yen ($160 billion) for fiscal 2023, its largest ever, the Finance Ministry reported this month. But this compilation of domestic and international transactions in goods and services does not show the actual flow of money that directly affects the exchange rate -- and this paints a different picture.