The yen tumbled to its lowest against the US dollar since late April on Thursday after the leader of Japan's main opposition party called for a move toward negative interest rates, sapping the currency's appeal despite its safe-haven status. The euro rallied to a two-week high against the yen and also rose against the dollar, despite data showing the euro zone slid into its second recession since 2009 in the third quarter of 2012.
The dollar rose as high as 81.45 yen, its highest since April 25. It last traded at 81.26, up 1.3 percent on the day. The euro last traded at 103.78, up 1.6 percent on the day as investors unwound short euro positions taken earlier this week on concerns about when Greece will receive its next tranche of financial aid. The euro rose 0.3 percent to $1.2776, recovering from Tuesday's two-month low of $1.2660.