Japanese finance minister Hirohisa Fujii has sought to clarify his position on the appreciation of the yen after sparking controversy in the wake of the G7 and G20 summits.Since the election of Fujii's Democratic Party of Japan last month, the finance minister has indicated that a stronger yen may help to fuel recovery by stimulating domestic demand.Reuters reports that Mr Fujii issued a further statement yesterday (October 14th) calling on governments around the world to resist the temptation to drive their own currencies lower in a bid to boost exports.He pointed to the 1930s for evidence of the devastating effect that concerted currency dumping would have on the global economy.However, in a press conference this morning, the minister insisted that his stance on the yen remains neutral."My remarks have caused a lot of misunderstanding. What I said after the G7 and G20 was that competitive devaluations were not good. I never said the yen should be this or that," he declared.