TOKYO, Sept 16 (Reuters) - Incoming Finance Minister Hirohisa Fujii said on Wednesday a strong yen has merits for Japan's economy, saying current forex moves are not rapid.
He also said he opposed intervention in the currency market if rates moves were gradual.
"I can't think other countries will conduct joint intervention even though the yen rises slightly," Fujii, 77, told reporters in parliament.
Japan's Yukio Hatoyama was voted in as prime minister by parliament's lower house on Wednesday, ushering in an untested government to deal with a struggling economy and the deep-seated problems of a fast-ageing population.
Hatoyama's choice of the veteran lawmaker as finance minister has soothed some analysts' concerns that the government's spending programmes will inflate an already huge public debt. (Reporting by Tetsushi Kajimoto)