I remember seeing it in the wsj and nyt. I had a friend who was a hedgie at the time (50m aum or so) who had the same trade on also and got smoked. Every day he'd bitch about soros this, robertson that. It seemed like a massive conspiracy to blow him up.
surf google for julian robertson yen various things. one of them http://www.businessweek.com/1998/52/b3610024.htm