Japan PM Takaichi did not stress weak yen's benefits, government says

TOKYO, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was not highlighting the benefits of a weak yen in her campaign speech over the weekend, a government spokesperson said on Monday.

Takaichi on Saturday said the yen's depreciation was a "major opportunity" for export industries and that it served as a buffer against U.S. tariffs. But she later said she did not have a preference for the yen's direction.

"The prime minister was expressing the view that we want to build an economic structure resilient to exchange-rate fluctuations," Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Masanao Ozaki said in a regular news conference.

"It is absolutely not the case, as some reports suggest, that she was emphasizing the so‑called benefits of a weak yen," he said.