Analysis:How a US-Japan pact to hit yen speculators came together

TOKYO, Aug 3 : A joint U.S.-Japanese effort to fight off speculative bets against a battered yen last week followed months of preparation by the two nations and a rare and public alignment of interests in Washington and Tokyo over exchange rates.While unilateral efforts by Japanese authorities to stop sharp yen selling in the past have failed to provide a firm floor for the currency, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's verbal support for a stronger yen has given bureaucrats in Tokyo a new tool in their fight this year.For Japan, a weak yen has fanned import prices, creating cost-of-living headaches for successive governments, including current Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's.For the U.S., a weak yen blunts the trade advantage from President Donald Trump's flagship tariffs while a relat