The yen climbed to and has remained at a historic high since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami disaster. On Aug. 19 it hit a postwar high of 75.95 to the dollar, an event that has led the government to intervene in the foreign exchange market twice.
This is a sign that despite an ever-growing government debt, which has now surpassed ¥900 trillion, the currency remains a safe haven for many foreign exchange investors.
Here are some questions and answers on the yen and its history: