TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki said on Wednesday that he was checking currency rates “meticulously” and with more frequency, Jiji News reported, as the yen continues to weaken against the dollar and markets watch for signs of intervention.

Suzuki also said the government would “properly respond” in the foreign exchange market based on existing policy, according to Jiji.

The comments came as the yen traded near a 32-year trough to the dollar at 149 yen, putting the major psychological barrier of 150 in focus.