Japan expressed appreciation Friday to its Group of Seven peers for their ''friendly cooperation'' in stepping into the currency markets to curb the yen's recent sharp rise following the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit the country a week ago.

''I want to thank them for their friendly cooperation,'' Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda said after a telephone conference with the finance ministers and central bank governors of the G-7, which groups Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States.

Bank of Japan Governor Masaaki Shirakawa said, ''I strongly hope that the collaboration by the G-7 countries will help stabilize foreign exchange markets.'' He also said the central bank will continue to provide sufficient funds to financial markets.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said at a press conference that it is ''extremely significant'' that the G-7 advanced economies take coordinated action aimed at bringing stability to the markets.

Economic and fiscal policy minister Kaoru Yosano said the G-7 ''made an appropriate decision at an extremely appropriate timing.''

Yosano had earlier linked the yen's surge, to its postwar record against the U.S. dollar, with speculative investors. On Friday, he criticized such players again.

''The G-7 shares the view that it is inappropriate that we see excess speculative moves at this unfortunate moment'' caused by the disaster, Yasano said.

==Kyodo