Japan's foreign exchange reserves stood at 1277.06 billion dollars as of the end of January, a 10.24- billion-dollar increase from a month earlier, up for the first time in three months, Japan's Finance Ministry said Friday.
The increase was triggered by the increase of Japanese government-held U.S. Treasuries amid growing concern that instability in emerging currency markets may weigh on global financial markets, Kyodo News quoted a ministry official as saying.
A climb in gold prices across the globe also drove up the reserves, the official added.
Japan's foreign exchange reserves are made up of 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.
