The Japanese yen slipped toward 144 per dollar on Friday, extending losses from the previous session as traders adopted a cautious stance ahead of the closely watched US monthly jobs report. Sentiment was also influenced by a phone call between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, in which the two leaders agreed to continue trade negotiations, though no concrete details were provided. On the domestic front, data showed that Japan’s household spending unexpectedly declined in April, as rising prices continued to weigh on consumer demand. The soft reading adds to the list of factors the Bank of Japan is monitoring as it assesses the timing of its next interest rate hike. Still, BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda reaffirmed earlier this week that the central bank stands ready to raise rates if economic and inflation forecasts are met, reinforcing expectations of a cautious but steady policy tightening path.