India, July 18 -- The Japanese yen weakened against other major currencies in the Asian session on Friday, as traders remain uncertain about Japan's upper house election and consider the fiscal implications of this weekend's vote. Meanwhile, the country's 40-year government bond yield experienced a notable decline.

Some reports suggested that Japan local banks were more concerned about the country's credit rating. Asian shares traded higher, as traders react to upbeat economic data from the U.S. and Japan that renewed optimism about the global economy. Countries are also hustling to strike trade deals with the U.S. as the August 1 deadline for pausing of "reciprocal tariffs" is less than a fortnight away.

Data showed U.S. retail sales reb...