Japan's foreign exchange reserves stood at 1,276.75 billion U.S. dollars as of the end of October, a 3.31-billion-dollar increase from a month earlier for the fourth straight month of climbing, Japan's Finance Ministry said Friday.

The increase was triggered by the euro's climbing versus the U. S. dollars, leading to higher values the country's holdings of euro-denominated assets, Japan's Kyodo News quoted a ministry official as saying.

An increase in interest income from Japanese government-held bonds, such as U.S. Treasuries, also drove up the reserves last month, according to the official.

Japan's foreign exchange reserves include securities and deposits denominated in foreign currencies and gold, as well as reserve positions and special drawing rights Japan holds at the International Monetary Fund.