TOKYO, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- The Japanese currency weakened sharply to a five-month low against the U.S. dollar in Tokyo trading on Thursday as the Bank of Japan (BOJ) signaled a dovish policy stance after leaving interest rates unchanged.

At 5 p.m. local time, the greenback fetched 156.46-49 yen compared with 154.77-87 yen in New York and 153.57-59 yen in Tokyo at the same time Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, the yen fell to over 155 against the U.S. dollar after the BOJ said at the end of a two-day policy meeting that it would hold interest rates steady at 0.25 percent, its weakest point since Nov. 21.

The Japanese currency later further dropped past 157 yen at one point, the weakest rate since July, as BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda told a press conference that he would need more information to determine how companies would raise wages in annual negotiations in the spring, fueling speculations that the central bank may hold rates steady again in January.

Meanwhile, Tokyo stocks ended lower on Thursday for the fifth straight trading day.

The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average ended down 268.13 points, or 0.69 percent, from Wednesday at 38,813.58, while the broader Topix index finished 6.04 points, or 0.22 percent, lower at 2,713.83. Enditem

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