1.   America is a big customer for Japanese goods.

2.   And without a comparable move by Tokyo, they would have tended to push the yen still higher, making Japanese goods more expensive in world markets.

3.   As the dollar declines, Japanese goods tend to cost more in the U.S., which may deter purchases.

4.   As the dollar rises against the yen, Japanese goods tend to cost less in U.S. stores, and U.S. goods tend to cost more in Japan.

5.   As the yen strengthens, Japanese goods become more costly abroad.

6.   Asian consumers bought fewer Japanese goods as the value of their currencies plunged.

7.   A cheaper won enables Korean companies to cut prices of exports that compete directly with Japanese goods.

8.   A cheaper won enables Korean companies to cut prices of their exports, which compete directly with Japanese goods.

9.   A visit there would signal the kind of strident nationalism that alarms and angers neighbors like South Korea and China, both big markets for Japanese goods.

10.   A weaker yen can cause Nikkei futures to rise because it means that American consumers will pay less for Japanese goods, boosting profits of Japanese companies.