The findings of a survey, conducted by the Bank of Japan (BoJ) to assess its past monetary easing measures, showed that Japan is on the cusp of seeing big changes in corporate activity.
Additional takeaways
Many firms said they can no longer hire enough workers if they curb wages.
More firms starting to pass on rising labour costs to sales prices.
Many firms regardless of size, sector, said an economy where wages and prices both rise is favourable for their business than that where wages, prices barely move.
BoJ’s monetary easing has underpinnned capex, corporate business activity by keeping borrowing costs low, improving availability of funds.
Some firms said they saw difficulty of hiring people, intensifying price competition as among side-effects of BoJ’s monetary easing.
Many big manufacturers cited FX moves as among effects that BoJ’s monetary easing had on their businesses.
Big manufacturers saw FX stability as biggest factor they wanted out of BoJ’s monetary policy.
Whether such changes in corporate activity broaden, become sustained would be crucial to Japan's economic, price outlook.
Market reaction
USD/JPY is unfazed by the above findings, trading modestly flat at around 155.75, as of writing.
Bank of Japan FAQs
The Bank of Japan (BoJ) is the Japanese central bank, which 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%.
The Bank of Japan has embarked in an ultra-loose monetary policy since 2013 in order to stimulate the economy and fuel inflation amid a low-inflationary environment. The bank’s policy is based on Quantitative and Qualitative Easing (QQE), or printing notes to buy assets such as government or corporate bonds to provide liquidity. In 2016, the bank doubled down on its strategy and further loosened policy by first introducing negative interest rates and then directly controlling the yield of its 10-year government bonds.
The Bank’s massive stimulus has caused the Yen to depreciate against its main currency peers. This process has exacerbated more recently due to an increasing policy divergence between the Bank of Japan and other main central banks, which have opted to increase interest rates sharply to fight decades-high levels of inflation. The BoJ’s policy of holding down rates has led to a widening differential with other currencies, dragging down the value of the Yen.
A weaker Yen and the spike in global energy prices have led to an increase in Japanese inflation, which has exceeded the BoJ’s 2% target. Still, the Bank judges that the sustainable and stable achievement of the 2% target has not yet come in sight, so any sudden change in the current policy looks unlikely.
Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page.
If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet.
FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted.
The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice.
Recommended content
Editors’ Picks

AUD/USD keeps range near 0.6350, Fed Minutes eyed
AUD/USD trades in a range around mid-0.6300s early Wednesday. The cautious market mood, the RBNZ dovish rate cut and Trump's tariff threat-led US Dollar upside remain a drag on the Aussie. Focus shifts to the Fed Minutes amid trade war fears.

USD/JPY stays pressured below 152.00 amid cautious markets
USD/JPY keeps its offered tone intact below 152.00 in late Asian trading on Wednesday. US President Trump's latest tariff threat and BoJ rate hike expectations underpin the Japanese Yen amid a pause in the US Dollar rebound. Traders await the Fed Minutes for fresh trading incentives.

Gold price bides time before the next push higher
Gold price is looking to refresh record highs while holding the recent upside early Wednesday as attention turns toward the Minutes of the US Federal Reserve (Fed) January policy meeting and US President Donald Trump’s tariff plans.

UK CPI set to rise in January, raising uncertainty over BoE rate cuts
United Kingdom’s Office for National Statistics will publish the January CPI data on Wednesday. The annual UK headline and core CPI inflation are expected to increase in January. The Pound Sterling braces for volatility on the UK CPI report data release amid a prudent BoE.

Rates down under
Today all Australian eyes were on the Reserve Bank of Australia, and rates were cut as expected. RBA Michele Bullock said higher interest rates had been working as expected, slowing economic activity and curbing inflation, but warned that Tuesday’s first rate cut since 2020 was not the start of a series of reductions.

The Best Brokers of the Year
SPONSORED Explore top-quality choices worldwide and locally. Compare key features like spreads, leverage, and platforms. Find the right broker for your needs, whether trading CFDs, Forex pairs like EUR/USD, or commodities like Gold.