Q&A: What's moving the Japanese yen?

Is China playing currency games, or are Japan's exporters just victims of their own success?

Japanese exporters have good reason to grumble.

Their goods have become more expensive because the yen has risen to a 15-year high against the dollar, meaning the country's products cost more to buyers outside the country.

As a result, the central bank has stepped in to try and weaken the yen.

Why has the yen been rising?

How much has the yen actually strengthened?

The Japanese yen is nearing its 1995 all-time high against the dollar of 79.95 (the dollar buys fewer yen as the yen strengthens)

So this must be really hurting exporters?

So why is the yen so popular?

So why have the Japanese authorities waited so long to intervene this time?

What have the Chinese got to do with all this?

So what might make the yen strengthen even more?