Japan finance minister reiterates readiness to act on FX volatility

TOKYO, April 3 (Reuters) - Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama on Friday reiterated the government's readiness to act against foreign exchange volatility as the yen stayed close to the psychologically important 160-per-dollar line.

"We are seeing a rise in speculative activity in both crude oil futures and foreign exchange markets, and volatility has increased significantly," Katayama said at a regular press conference.

"As exchange-rate volatility driven by these developments is affecting the livelihoods and economy of the public, we are prepared to respond fully on all fronts," she said.