The U.S. dollar strengthened in late trading on Thursday.
The dollar index, which measures the greenback against six major peers, added 0.21 percent to 97.824 at 15:00 (2000 GMT).
In late New York trading, the euro decreased to 1.1794 dollars from 1.1809 dollars in the previous session, and the British pound was down to 1.3549 dollars from 1.3663 dollars in the previous session.
The U.S. dollar bought 156.9 Japanese yen, higher than 156.82 Japanese yen in the previous session. The U.S. dollar was up to 0.7774 Swiss francs from 0.7766 Swiss francs, and it climbed to 1.3682 Canadian dollars from 1.3668 Canadian dollars. The U.S. dollar rose to 9.0363 Swedish kronor from 8.9864 Swedish kronor.
U.S. dollar ticks up
Some Japanese people said on Thursday that the government led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi must firmly uphold the pacifist constitution.
Their remarks came after French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to Japan from Tuesday to Thursday.
Attending a joint press conference with Takaichi on Wednesday, Macron emphasized that France and Japan have agreed on the importance of on the importance of quickly de-escalating the conflict in the Middle East and upholding international law.
Many saw this as a response to a strongly worded post by U.S. President Donald Trump on social media, which criticized France for refusing to cooperate with the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
Some locals in Tokyo expressed their opposition to Japan's involvement in any war, but said Japan could offer help when the conflict in the Middle East ends.
"I think that Prime Minister Takaichi could offer support, provided that we wouldn't get involved in an armed conflict, such as minesweeping operations at sea, as Japan has the best minesweeping technology in the world," said a resident in Tokyo.
"I'm not entirely sure what consequences will follow Trump's demands. There may be additional tariffs, among other things. Our constitution prohibits [Japan's] from getting involved in war, and Prime Minister Takaichi should uphold this principle," said another resident.
Tokyo residents urge PM Takaichi to uphold pacifist constitution
