Japan’s Katayama hopes BoJ sustains 2% inflation target with wage growth

Lallalit Srijandorn FXStreet

Japan’s Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said that she hopes the Bank of Japan (BoJ) will adopt suitable monetary policy to stably, sustainably reach 2% inflation target with rising wages.

Key quotes

Cabinet agrees specific monetary policy tools are left to BoJ.

Hopes BoJ will adopt suitable monetary policy to stably, sustainably reach 2% inflation target with rising wages.

No further details on premier's meeting with BOJ Ueda beyond governor's remarks.

BoJ law requires adequate communication with government while maintaining central bank independence.

Market reaction

As of writing, the USD/JPY pair is up 0.07% on the day at 159.55.

Bank of Japan FAQs

What is the Bank of Japan?

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%.

What has been the Bank of Japan’s policy?

The Bank of Japan embarked in an ultra-loose monetary policy in 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. In March 2024, the BoJ lifted interest rates, effectively retreating from the ultra-loose monetary policy stance.

How do Bank of Japan’s decisions influence the Japanese Yen?

The Bank’s massive stimulus caused the Yen to depreciate against its main currency peers. This process exacerbated in 2022 and 2023 due to an increasing policy divergence between the Bank of Japan and other main central banks, which opted to increase interest rates sharply to fight decades-high levels of inflation. The BoJ’s policy led to a widening differential with other currencies, dragging down the value of the Yen. This trend partly reversed in 2024, when the BoJ decided to abandon its ultra-loose policy stance.

Why did the Bank of Japan decide to start unwinding its ultra-loose policy?

A weaker Yen and the spike in global energy prices led to an increase in Japanese inflation, which exceeded the BoJ’s 2% target. The prospect of rising salaries in the country – a key element fuelling inflation – also contributed to the move.

Author

Lallalit Srijandorn

FXStreet

Lallalit Srijandorn is a Parisian at heart. She has lived in France since 2019 and now becomes a digital entrepreneur based in Paris and Bangkok.

AUD/USD eases from one-month high; holds above 0.7000 amid softer USD

AUD/USD pulls back slightly after hitting a fresh one-month high in the Asian session on Monday as bulls turn cautious ahead of the latest Australian consumer inflation figures and the crucial FOMC decision later this week. Meanwhile, expectations of another RBA rate hike in November support the Aussie. Moreover, a softer US Dollar helps the currency pair hold above the 0.7000 psychological mark.

USD/JPY extends recovery from one-month low beyond 157.00

USD/JPY kicks off the week on a positive note, building on Friday's modest bounce from the 156.00 neighborhood, or a one-month low amid some repositioning ahead of key central bank events and data risks. The Fed and the BoJ will announce their policy decisions on Wednesday and Friday, respectively. This, along with the release of Advance US Q3 GDP and the PCE Price Index on Thursday, should provide some meaningful impetus to the currency pair.

Gold struggles below $4,000 as oil-driven inflation fears reaffirm Fed hike bets

Gold attracts follow-through selling at the start of the new week, trading below $4,000 during the Asian session and near a three-month low. Higher energy prices continue to fuel inflation fears and reinforce US rate-hike expectations, undermining the non-yielding bullion. Bears, however, might refrain from placing aggressive bets ahead of the crucial FOMC meeting and other key central bank events this week.

Week ahead: Central bank and earnings bonanza could roil markets

After joining the rate-hike club in September, the Federal Reserve looks set to stand pat in October, waiting to assess more data before deciding to hike again. Whilst this isn’t an unusual move for a central bank, it somewhat contradicts Fed Chair Kevin Warsh’s new mantra of data dependency and zero forward guidance.

CFTC Report: WTI rally runs ahead of positioning

The week in one sentence: WTI prices surged while speculative longs were cut in the week to October 20, creating the clearest price/positioning divergence. Sterling and the Canadian Dollar led the constructive currency shift, while Yen longs also rebuilt. Speculators turned less constructive on the WTI, reducing their net exposure to around 89.3K contracts.

What November 3 means for the Fed's rate path and the US Dollar

The USD faces a decisive period ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. While markets anticipate another interest rate increase from the Fed in December, the battle for control of Congress could reshape fiscal policy expectations and, indirectly, the path of US monetary policy in 2027.