Japan used a record of almost $74 billion over the past month to prop up the yen after the currency slid past ?160 per dollar, according to Finance Ministry data confirming the government*s first market intervention since 2024.

The ministry disclosed figures Friday for the month from April 28 to May 27 showing total intervention of ?11.73 trillion ($73.6 billion) over a period marked by several spikes in the yen.

The figures underscore the authorities* determination to prevent a freefall of the yen and are the first official acknowledgment that the authorities stepped into the market after the yen hit ?160.72 against the dollar. A person familiar with the matter had said Japan intervened on April 30, and speculation has continued of further rounds of yen-buying in subsequent days.