USD/JPY Forecast and News
USD/JPY recovers from two-week low ahead of US inflation data
The USD/JPY gains some positive traction during the Asian session, snapping a four-day losing streak amid some repositioning ahead of the US CPI report. Meanwhile, expectations that Japan's PM Sanae Takaichi could be more fiscally responsible, along with bets that the BoJ will stick to its policy normalization path and the risk-off mood, could support the safe-haven Japanese Yen. The US Dollar, on the other hand, struggles to attract buyers amid dovish Fed expectations and threats to the central bank's independence, which, in turn, should cap the currency pair.
Latest Japanese Yen News
USD/JPY Technical Overview
The US Dollar (USD) has found footing in the lower range of the 152.00s against the Japanese Yen (JPY) and is consolidating around 153.00 on Thursday. Strong US employment figures have prompted investors to pare back bets on immediate rate cuts by the US Federal Reserve (Fed), providing some support to the Greenback, although upside attempts remain modest so far.
Fundamental Overview
The delayed US Nonfarm Payrolls report, released on Wednesday, showed that job creation accelerated to 130K, beating expectations of 70K, and the unemployment rate fell to 4.3% from 4.4% in December.
Investors’ optimism, however, was offset by the strong concentration of January’s jobs, with the healthcare sector accounting for more than 80K and the downward revision of 2025 data to 181,000 net jobs from previous estimations of 584,000.
The Yen remains on track to a strong weekly performance
The Yen is showing the strongest performance among the G8 majors this week, on track for its best week in more than a year. Markets are welcoming Prime Minister Takaichi’s landslide victory in Sunday’s elections amid the prospects of a stable government, and have shrugged off doubts about her fiscal largesse.
Investors are focusing on the positive economic effects of Takaichi’s large stimulus programs and tax cuts, playing down earlier concerns about the challenges of financing those measures without increasing already high public debt.
Takaichi’s stimulus measures, coupled with a weak Japanese Yen, are expected to boost consumer demand and boost inflation, forcing the Bank of Japan (BoJ) to hike interest rates further. Markets have ramped up bets of a near-term rate hike, which might take place as soon as March, and one or two more hikes throughout the year. With the Fed still in its easing cycle, this is likely to act as a headwind for the pair.
Latest JPY Analysis
Editors' picks
AUD/USD consolidates below 0.7100 as traders await US CPI report
AUD/USD stalls the previous day's retracement slide from the vicinity of mid-0.7100s, or a three-year high, as traders move to the sidelines ahead of Friday's release of the US consumer inflation figures. In the meantime, the divergent RBA-Fed outlooks might continue to support spot prices amid subdued US Dollar demand, though the risk-off impulse could act as a headwind for the Aussie.
USD/JPY recovers from two-week low ahead of US inflation data
The USD/JPY gains some positive traction during the Asian session, snapping a four-day losing streak amid some repositioning ahead of the US CPI report. Meanwhile, expectations that Japan's PM Sanae Takaichi could be more fiscally responsible, along with bets that the BoJ will stick to its policy normalization path and the risk-off mood, could support the safe-haven Japanese Yen. The US Dollar, on the other hand, struggles to attract buyers amid dovish Fed expectations and threats to the central bank's independence, which, in turn, should cap the currency pair.
Gold falls to near $4,900 as selling pressure intensifies
Gold price faces some selling pressure around $4,910 during the early Asian session on Friday. The yellow metal tumbles over 3.50% on the day, with algorithmic traders appearing to amplify the precious metal’s sudden drop. Traders will closely monitor the release of the US Consumer Price Index inflation report for January, which will be released later on Friday.
Ethereum investors face huge unrealized losses following price slump
US spot Ethereum exchange-traded funds flipped negative again on Wednesday after recording net outflows of $129.1 million, reversing mild inflows seen at the beginning of the week, per SoSoValue data. Fidelity's FETH was responsible for more than half of withdrawals, posting outflows of $67 million.
A tale of two labour markets: Headline strength masks underlying weakness
Undoubtedly, yesterday’s delayed US January jobs report delivered a strong headline – one that surpassed most estimates. However, optimism quickly faded amid sobering benchmark revisions.
Majors
Cryptocurrencies
Signatures
USD/JPY YEARLY FORECAST
How could USD/JPY move this year? Our experts make a USD/JPY update forecasting the possible moves of the yen-dollar pair during the whole year.
USD/JPY FORECAST 2025
In the USD/JPY 2025 Forecast , FXStreet analyst Yohay Elam indicates that USD/JPY is likely to start the year bearish due to fears of trade wars, Donald Trump's entry into the White House and expected Federal Reserve (Fed) rate cuts. However, a bullish turnaround is anticipated in the following months as Trump's trade deals stabilize global markets, weakening the safe-haven Yen. Further gains are expected in the latter half of the year, driven by a more hawkish Fed and disappointment in the Bank of Japan’s (BoJ) inaction on rate hikes.
From a technical point of view, USD/JPY remains in a long-term uptrend for 2025, supported by its position above the 50-week SMA. Key resistance levels include 156.97, 161.81, and 170.43, with the latter aligning with the 138.2% Fibonacci extension. On the downside, support lies at 147.54, 139.73, and further down at 136.72 and 127.15.
MOST INFLUENTIAL FACTORS IN 2025 FOR USD/JPY
The year will be politically marked by Trump’s return to the White House. A Republican government is seen as positive for financial markets, but Trump’s pledge to cut taxes and impose tariffs on foreign goods and services may introduce uncertainty to both the political and economic landscape.
In Japan, political uncertainty looms, as the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lacks a parliamentary majority and may call fresh elections. An LDP victory could strengthen the Yen by ensuring stability, while opposition gains might lead to fiscal expansion and weaken the currency. If no elections occur, a modest budget would likely keep the Yen supported.
In terms of monetary policy, the Fed and BoJ are set to diverge in monetary policy. The Fed expects to deliver only two additional rate cuts in 2025, the BoJ is expected to maintain its dovish stance, avoiding rate hikes amid weak inflation and a shrinking economy, leaving the Yen vulnerable to market disappointment over policy inaction.
Influential Institutions & People for the USD/JPY
The US Dollar Japanese Yen can be seriously affected by news or the decisions taken by two main central banks:
The Federal Reserve (Fed)
The Federal Reserve (Fed) is the central bank of the United States (US) and it has two main targets: to maintain the unemployment rate at its lowest possible levels and to keep inflation around 2%. The Federal Reserve System's structure is composed of the presidentially appointed Board of Governors and the partially appointed Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC). The FOMC organizes eight scheduled meetings in a year to review economic and financial conditions. It also determines the appropriate stance of monetary policy and assesses the risks to its long-run goals of price stability and sustainable economic growth. The FOMC Minutes, which are released by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve weeks after the latest meeting, are a guide to the future US interest-rate policy.
Fed official website , on X and Facebook
The Bank of Japan (BOJ)
The Bank of Japan (BoJ) is the central bank of Japan. Established under the Bank of
Japan Act in 1882, it is a juridical entity and neither a government agency nor a private corporation. The BoJ
sets monetary policy in the country. Its mandate is to issue banknotes and carry out currency and monetary
control to ensure price stability, which means an inflation target of around 2%.
Policy Board: The Policy Board is the bank's highest decision-making body. It determines the
guidelines
for currency and monetary control, sets the basic principles for carrying out the bank's operations and oversees
the performance of the bank's officers, excluding auditors and counselors.
History: The Bank of Japan was established under the Bank of Japan Act, promulgated in June
1882, and began operating as the nation's central bank on October 10, 1882. It was reorganized in 1942 under the
Bank of Japan Act of 1942,
which reflected the wartime context. The Act of 1942 was amended several times after World War II, and the
establishment of the Policy Board as the bank's highest decision-making body occurred in June 1949. In June
1997, the Act of 1942 was revised completely under the principles of independence and transparency. The revised
Act came into effect on April 1, 1998.
The official website , on X and YouTube
Jerome Powell
Jerome Powell took office as chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in February 2018, for a four-year term ending in February 2022. He was sworn in on May 23, 2022, for a second term as Chairman ending May 15, 2026. Born in Washington D.C., he received a bachelor’s degree in politics from Princeton University in 1975 and earned a law degree from Georgetown University in 1979. Powell served as an assistant secretary and as undersecretary of the Treasury under President George H.W. Bush. He also worked as a lawyer and investment banker in New York City. From 1997 through 2005, Powell was a partner at The Carlyle Group.
Jerome Powell Fed's Profile and Wikipedia
Kazuo Ueda
Kazuo Ueda was born in Makinohara, Japan, on September 20, 1951. He is the 32nd and current Governor of the BoJ. He graduated from the University of Tokyo with a Bachelor of Science and Mathematics and received a PhD in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
He is a professor emeritus at the University of Tokyo and also worked as a professor at Kyoritsu Women's University. In February 2023, former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida nominated Ueda as the governor of the BoJ. He is widely regarded as an expert on monetary policy but was considered a surprise appointment by analysts. He wasn’t even considered a dark-horse candidate, as the BoJ governor role has traditionally gone to long-serving Finance Ministry bureaucrats or central bank officials. Ueda is the first academic economist to lead the BoJ in the post-World War II era.
Ueda’s Wikipedia profile
BOJ NEWS & ANALYSIS
FED NEWS & ANALYSIS
About USD/JPY
The USD/JPY (US Dollar Japanese Yen) currency pair is one of the 'Majors', a group of the most important currency pairs in the world. The Japanese Yen, known for its low interest rate, is frequently used in carry trades, making it one of the most traded currencies worldwide. In the USD/JPY pair, the US Dollar is the base currency and the Japanese Yen serves as the counter currency.
Trading USD/JPY is also known as trading the "ninja" or the "gopher", although the latter nickname is more frequently associated with the GBP/JPY pair. USD/JPY usually has a positive correlation with other pairs like USD/CHF and USD/CAD, as all three use the US Dollar as the base currency. The value of the pair is often influenced by interest-rate differentials between the two central banks: the Federal Reserve (Fed) and the Bank of Japan (BoJ).
Related pairs
GBP/USD
The GBP/USD (or Pound Dollar) currency pair belongs to the group of 'Majors', referring to the most important and widely traded pairs in the world. The pair is also known as “the Cable”, a term originating in the mid-19th century that refers to the first transatlantic telegraph connecting Great Britain and the United States. As a closely watched and widely traded currency pair, it features the British Pound as the base currency and the US Dollar as the counter currency. For that reason, macroeconomic data from both the United States and the United Kingdom significantly impacts its price. One notable event that affected the volatility of the pair was Brexit.
EUR/USD
The EUR/USD (or Euro Dollar) currency pair belongs to the group of 'Majors', a term used t o describe the most important currency pairs in the world. This group also includes GBP/USD, USD/JPY, AUD/USD , USD/CHF, NZD/USD and USD/CAD . The popularity of the Euro Dollar pair stems from its representation of two of the world’s largest economies: the Eurozone and the United States.
The EUR/USD is one of the most widely traded currency pairs in the Forex market, where the Euro serves as the base currency and the US Dollar as the counter currency. It accounts for more than half of the total trading volume in the Forex market, making gaps almost inexistent, let alone sudden reversals caused by breakaway gaps.
The EUR/USD is usually quiet during the Asian session, as economic data influencing the pair is usually released during the European or US sessions. Activity increases as European traders begin their day, leading to heightened trading volume. This activity slows around midday during the European lunch break but picks up again when US markets come online.