Japan is punishing its trading partners by guiding the yen toward levels that haven’t been seen in almost four years, said Eisuke Sakakibara, a former Ministry of Finance official. Japan’s currency has entered a range of between 88 to 98 per dollar, according to Sakakibara, known as “Mr. Yen” for his efforts to influence exchange rates in the late 1990s. An official from a Group of Seven nation said Japan will be in the spotlight at the Group of 20 gathering this weekend amid concern the yen’s slide has been excessive. Guiding the yen lower is a policy that punishes neighboring nations,” Sakakibara, 71, said in an ... (full story)