USD to JPY in August 2026: high, low, average
Updated September 26, 2026
The dollar bought 158.8 Japanese yen on average in August 2026, according to cross rates calculated from 21 European Central Bank fixings. The month opened at the low and closed at the high: 156.68 yen on August 3 and 159.73 yen on August 31, a rise of 1.95% from first to last day.
A month that climbed from its first day
August started with a sharp move. On August 3 the rate fell 2.22% against the last fixing of July, the largest daily change of the month, and that drop set the monthly low of 156.68. From there the dollar recovered steadily. It rose on 14 of the 21 fixings and fell on only 7.
Because the low came first and the high came last, the range from low to high (1.95%) equals the change across the month. That pattern is uncommon, and it means anyone who waited through August to buy yen with dollars got more yen at the end.
USD/JPY fixings in August 2026
| Date | JPY per 1 USD | Versus previous fixing |
|---|---|---|
| August 3 | 156.68 | down |
| August 4 | 157.41 | up |
| August 5 | 157.59 | up |
| August 6 | 157.83 | up |
| August 7 | 158.34 | up |
| August 10 | 158.64 | up |
| August 11 | 159.2 | up |
| August 12 | 159.09 | down |
| August 13 | 159.33 | up |
| August 14 | 159.01 | down |
| August 17 | 159.23 | up |
| August 18 | 159.7 | up |
| August 19 | 159.09 | down |
| August 20 | 158.76 | down |
| August 21 | 158.7 | down |
| August 24 | 159.12 | up |
| August 25 | 159.24 | up |
| August 26 | 159.07 | down |
| August 27 | 159.39 | up |
| August 28 | 159.68 | up |
| August 31 | 159.73 | up |
The rate shows how many yen one US dollar buys. Converted the other way, the average was 0.0062973 dollars per yen.
The bigger picture: July 2026 and August 2025
| Period | Average USD/JPY |
|---|---|
| August 2025 | 147.7 |
| July 2026 | 162.51 |
| August 2026 | 158.8 |
Against July, August was a weaker month for the dollar: the July average of 162.51 was higher than August's 158.8, a fall of 2.28%. Against August 2025 the dollar was much stronger, with the average up 7.52% from 147.7.
So a traveller who changed dollars into yen in August 2026 got fewer yen than in July but far more than a year earlier.
Reading the numbers if you travel to Japan
For a trip paid in yen, a higher USD/JPY rate is good news for a dollar holder, since each dollar converts into more yen. In August 2026 the best reference day was the last one, August 31, at 159.73. The worst was August 3, at 156.68.
For someone paid in yen who spends dollars, the reverse holds. The start of the month, when a dollar cost the fewest yen, was the cheaper time to buy dollars.
Card issuers and airport exchange desks add their margin to these reference levels, so treat the ECB-based figure as a yardstick. If your receipt shows a rate far below the fixing of the same day, the difference is the fee.
What to do
- Check the rate for your travel or payment date on the USD/JPY daily rates for August 2026 page.
- Compare it with the rate on your card statement to see the real cost of the conversion.
- See the USD/JPY on August 31 page for the high day of the month.
- Follow the USD to JPY exchange rate today before the next exchange, and use the 100 USD to JPY converter for quick amounts.
- For a longer view, open USD/JPY in 2026 and compare August with the months before it.
Questions and answers
What was the average dollar to yen rate in August 2026?
USD/JPY averaged 158.8 yen per dollar in August 2026, based on 21 ECB cross rates.
When was the dollar strongest against the yen in August 2026?
On August 31, 2026, when the rate reached 159.73 yen. The weakest day was August 3, at 156.68.
How did August 2026 compare with July 2026 for USD/JPY?
The August average of 158.8 was 2.28% below the July average of 162.51.