TOKYO: The dollar extended its gains against the yen in Asia Friday, after strong US jobs data bolstered speculation the Fed will soon begin a rollback of its monetary easing scheme.
The greenback jumped to 101.32 yen in Tokyo, from 101.16 yen in New York Thursday.
A drop in weekly US jobless claims and a pick-up in manufacturing activity in November boosted sentiment, powering the Dow to another record high, and fuelling speculation of any early pullback on the Fed's bond-buying plan.
The euro bought $1.3461 compared with $1.3478 and 136.43 yen, against 136.34 yen.
The single currency rose in New York after European Central Bank President Mario Draghi moved to temper talk of a rate cut.
The ECB head said the bank was not planning to take one of its key rates -- the deposit rate -- to negative territory from zero percent.
On Friday, Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda played down suggestions its own aggressive easing programme was fuelling excessive weakness in the yen.
He said the currency's recent decline against the dollar was not "abnormal". The currency has lost about a quarter of its value against the greenback since late last year.
"Excessive strength in the yen has been in a correction process," Kuroda said during a parliamentary financial committee session.
"I don't think there is any bubble-like, abnormal yen weakness right now in the currency market."
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