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Japan shuddered Wednesday (22/6) after the dollar sank below the important psychological barrier of 100 yen for the first time in post-war history, threatening to derail the fragile economic recovery now taking shape. Despite reported intervention by the Bank of Japan, estimated to have bought hundreds of millions of dollars Wednesday in a desperate bid to halt the yen's latest appreciation, the dollar closed at 100.65 yen, barely above its opening level of 100.35 yen and down from 102.15 yen at Tuesday's finish. The yen's overnight surge pushed the dollar below 100 yen for the fist time since American occupation authorities generously set the post-war level of the Japanese currency at 360 yen to the dollar in 1949. The yen's latest surge came only a day after the government announced that gross domestic product (GDP) in the three months to March grew by one percent from the previous quarter, the strongest rate of expansion in three years. SHOWS TOKYO: 22/6: 0.00 vs of money exchange 0.05 newspaper headline 0.07 more of money exchange 0.10 ws of stock exchange floor 0.13 vs close up of dealers on the floor 0.20 ws of cabinet and zoom in to prime minister, tsutomu hata 0.25 cutaway to cabinet members 0.29 cu of another cabinet member 0.33 cut away to foreign minister FILE: 0.35 honda car factory 0.39 cu of workers riveting cars 0.45 ws of boat in harbour surrounded by new cars 0.49 new cars being driven onto boat 0.55 ends You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/e241b46f15a029760c63202497ca7720 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork