The yen appreciated to the upper 152 range against the U.S. dollar on Friday in Asian trading, reaching that level for the first time in nearly three weeks, as the currency strengthens in the wake of two suspected interventions by Japanese authorities. The yen temporarily advanced to around 152.83 in the morning before hovering around the 153 line. Tokyo markets were closed Friday for a national holiday. The U.S. currency traded at 153.61-71 yen in New York at 5 p.m. Thursday. The yen weakened to the lower 160 range on Monday, a level unseen over the past 34 years, after the Bank of Japan left…