Asian currencies ended the week mixed against the dollar with few leads in the Christmas and New Year holiday season.
The Japanese currency stood at 117.48-51 to the greenback late on Thursday, down from 116.01-04 at the previous week's close. Trading was suspended on Friday for a public holiday.
In Singapore, the yen fetched 116.59 to the dollar Friday afternoon, reflecting what UOB treasury economist Thomas Lam called a "sense of indecisiveness as to whether to push the dollar in one direction or another."
The business journal Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported on its Internet edition that Japanese financial markets in the coming week will be swayed by the consumer price index due out on Tuesday and the mining and manufacturing index on Wednesday.
The Australian dollar was trading at 73.08 US cents, well down on the previous week's 74.60 US cents.
Chief currency strategist at Westpac Robert Rennie said the Aussie had been hurt after selling of the New Zealand dollar left it vulnerable Friday.
One option was for more Japanese buying interest in the Australian dollar but a lack of significant data releases, either domestic or international, should see muted trading during the holiday period, Rennie said.
However, US data released in early January, including US jobs and manufacturing figures as well as Federal Open Market Committee minutes, would be "absolutely critical for the Aussie," he said.
As sentiment turned more negative in the wake of disappointing current account and gross domestic product data during the week, forex dealers warned the kiwi could go into free fall in the New Year.
Hedge funds have gone heavily short New Zealand dollars on the expectation the currency will lose ground and are likely to encourage a disorderly fall.
Bank of New Zealand currency strategist Sue Trinh said the weakening trend would extend into 2006, "with risks firmly slanted in favour of a sub-60 US cents outcome by the end of the coming year".
The Thai unit closed at 40.92-94 to the greenback on Friday, against 40.95-98 a week earlier.