Japan ready to take decisive action on forex if needed, finance minister says

TOKYO, July 22 : Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said on Wednesday that the government remains ready to take decisive action in currency markets if needed, while refraining from commenting on specific foreign-exchange levels."Our stance has not changed at all. If there is a need for it, we will take decisive action appropriately at any time," she told reporters at the Finance Ministry, after the dollar-yen exchange rate topped 163 yen to reach a 40-year high.The country's top currency diplomat, Atsushi Mimura, did not make any official comment when approached by reporters at the ministry earlier on Wednesday.The yen lost ground amid a broad rise in the dollar, driven by the latest round of attacks in the Middle East that pushed oil prices higher and stoked concerns about inflati