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The yen earlier was undermined by comments from Japanese Finance Minister Jun Azumi who said Japan followed up its record yen-selling intervention last year with covert operations and that it is ready to step in again to counter speculative moves. The dollar hit session highs at 76.900 yen, its strongest level since Jan. 27. It was last at 76.870 yen, up 0.4 percent. The euro, meanwhile, climbed to 101.710 yen , its highest since Jan. 26. It last traded at 101.68 yen, up 1.1 percent.