Hata's power base weakened sharply when the SDP withdrew from the ruling coalition just before he formed his cabinet.

"There are signs that housing is peaking, but there is no evidence that housing is weakening sharply."

Many pension funds weakened sharply during the last bear market, but stronger companies were able to revive their pension funds by making big contributions.

The South Korean currency also weakened sharply.

The Japanese yen, after weakening sharply in the days after the upheaval, has gained back some, though not all, of its strength against the dollar.

Instead they expect the Fed to hold short-term rates stable unless the dollar weakens sharply again or there are signs of accelerating inflation, particularly in wages.

So long as the dollar does not weaken sharply, they doubted that the Fed would try to push the overnight rate higher.

The yen weakened sharply against the dollar today in New York trading, which took place after the no-confidence vote in the lower house of Parliament.

But it weakened sharply in the third quarter of last year, dropping 3.2 percent at annual rates.

Opponents of conservatism weaken sharply.