The US dollar rose to the lower 109 yen range on Thursday in Tokyo, the highest in about three weeks, following the US Federal Reserve's policy meeting.
The greenback fetched JPY 109.09-12 compared with JPY 108.85-95 in New York and JPY 108.07-08 in Tokyo Wednesday.
The dollar climbed to JPY 109.08 at one point in the morning, its highest level since Oct. 7.
In a statement released Wednesday after a two-day Federal Open Market Committee policy meeting, the Fed said it will keep interest rates low for "a considerable time." The US central bank also decided to end its monthly bond buyback program this month.
The weaker yen boosted buy orders for export-related shares in the Japanese stock markets, sending the benchmark index to also hit a three-week high.
The Nikkei 225 Stock Average on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) gained 104.29 points, or 0.67 percent, from Wednesday to 15,658.20, the highest closing since Oct.7.
The broader Tokyo Stock Price Index, which includes all First Section issues on the TSE, advanced 8.26 points, or 0.65 percent, to 1,278.90.