FACTBOX-Japan policymakers comment on dollar/yen 12-yr low

March 14 (Reuters) - The dollar sank below 100 yen on Thursday for the first time in more than a decade, prompting Japanese officials to say they are keeping a close eye on the yen's surge that has slammed the Tokyo stock market this year. [nYEN]

Following are key comments by Japanese government officials on the dollar's decline against the yen:

NOBUTAKA MACHIMURA, CHIEF CABINET SECRETARY, March 14, from news conference:

"The government's stance is to refrain from commenting on specific exchange rate and stock price levels.

"But as the Group of Seven communique says, too rapid (currency) moves are undesirable for global economic growth.

"I get the impression that recent moves are quite rapid but from a global perspective, they seem to reflect dollar weakness rather than yen strength.

"(U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry) Paulson has repeated anew that a strong dollar was in the U.S. national interest. We are paying attention to such comments.

"As for currency intervention, I will not comment."

FUKUSHIRO NUKAGA, FINANCE MINISTER, March 14, from news conference:

"I will refrain from commenting on currency levels. We are watching currency moves with great interest.

"Excessive moves are undesirable for global economic growth."

HIROKO OTA, ECONOMICS MINISTER, March 14, from news conference:

"I will refrain from commenting on (foreign exchange) levels. The recent rapid rise in the yen is due to the recent rapid fall in the dollar, caused by continued worries about U.S. credit markets and intensifying signs of a U.S. slowdown."

Asked whether the yen's rise has more merits or demerits:

"I cannot say. Theoretically, a rise in the yen will push down import prices in yen terms. But the speed of the moves is very fast, so we cannot generalise.

"What's happening right now is that dollar weakness is causing the strength in the yen. The dollar weakness is taking money out of the dollar and shifting it to oil, pushing up oil prices. Thus rises in the yen and oil prices are being triggered by the dollar's fall.