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August 11, 2026
 

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Sumio Ito
Japan's central bank is likely to consider raising its economic growth forecast at its July meeting while leaving the policy rate unchanged after last month hiking it to the highest level since 1995, according to people familiar with the matter.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 18, 2026
BOJ likely to raise growth forecast and stand pat, sources say
The officials will make final decisions on policy and the economic outlook after assessing all available data and information up to the last minute, the sources said.
Former Bank of Japan Gov. Hideo Hayakawa
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 9, 2026
BOJ may raise rate in June and October, former official says
The BOJ is widely expected to raise its benchmark interest rate a quarter percentage point, in what would be the first adjustment since December.
The Bank of Japan will probably increase its benchmark rate next month, according to Makoto Sakurai, who served on the central bank's board from 2016 to 2021.
BUSINESS / Economy
May 29, 2026
BOJ will probably raise rates in June, former board member says
The central bank¡¯s policy will fall into a state of being behind otherwise, says Makoto Sakurai, who served on its board from 2016 to 2021.
The Bank of Â鶹´«Ã½ board will likely discuss lifting its key price projection for this fiscal year after oil prices surged roughly 50% since the outbreak of the U.S.-Iran war.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 15, 2026
BOJ could raise price outlook sharply on oil shock, central bank watchers say
Uncertainty over the Middle East conflict will also likely lead officials to consider lowering the economic growth forecast.
A former Bank of Japan chief economist said the Iran war is increasing inflation risks, strengthening the case for a possible interest rate hike as early as this month.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 2, 2026
Former BOJ chief economist sees likelihood of April rate hike
Toshitaka Sekine, now an economics professor at Hitotsubashi University, thinks there are more upside risks for inflation.
The Bank of Japan plans to offload its substantial holdings of exchange-traded funds little by little, to avoid roiling markets.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 16, 2025
BOJ may begin decadeslong sale of ?83 trillion ETF hoard from January
The bank will offload the assets little by little to avoid roiling markets, as was decided at a September policy board meeting, people familiar with the matter said.
Hideo Hayakawa, a former executive director of the Bank of Japan, says he expects multiple rate hikes by the central bank by 2027, with the terminal rate probably around 1.5%.
BUSINESS / Economy
Dec 11, 2025
BOJ likely to conduct multiple hikes ahead, former official says
Hideo Hayakawa, a former executive director of the central bank, says the terminal rate is probably around 1.5%.
Bank of Â鶹´«Ã½ headquarters in Tokyo
BUSINESS / Economy
Nov 19, 2025
BOJ unlikely to hike before March, says panelist advising Prime Minister Takaichi
Goushi Kataoka, a member of Takaichi¡¯s economic growth strategy panel, estimated that a supplementary budget of around ?20 trillion would be necessary this fiscal year.
Market expectations for a rate hike when the Bank of Japan next sets policy on Oct. 30 have been gaining momentum as inflation has held steady and the economy has showed resilience.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 25, 2025
BOJ may raise rate as soon as October, says former board member
Market expectations for a rate hike when the bank next sets policy have been gaining momentum as inflation has held steady and the economy has showed resilience.
A former Bank of Japan chief economist says growing market speculation about a potential rate hike in October is underestimating the uncertainty caused by U.S President's Donald Trump's tariff campaign.
BUSINESS / Economy
Sep 5, 2025
BOJ¡¯s October rate stance tough to call, its ex-chief economist says
Speculation over a potential rate hike underestimates the uncertainty wrought by U.S. President Donald Trump¡¯s tariff campaign, Toshitaka Sekine says.
Bank of Japan officials view the trade deal with the U.S. as reducing a key source of uncertainty for Â鶹´«Ã½ economy and businesses, allowing the central bank to focus on monitoring the tariffs¡¯ actual impact in incoming economic data, according to people familiar with the matter.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 25, 2025
BOJ is said to see potential rate hike environment this year
Assuming there¡¯s no change to the U.S. tariff deal, the central bank will likely have enough data by the end of the year to be able to consider whether a rate hike is appropriate.
The central bank will probably weigh increasing its key price forecast from 2.2% for this fiscal year after food inflation proved stronger than expected.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 14, 2025
BOJ may raise price outlook as food inflation beats expectations, sources say
The yen briefly strengthened against the dollar following the report, while Â鶹´«Ã½ bond futures dipped.
Junko Koeda, one of the latest members of the Bank of Japan's policy board, speaks during an interview at the central bank's headquarters in Tokyo on Monday.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 9, 2025
New board member hints at possible raising of BOJ¡¯s price outlook
Junko Koeda, a former Waseda University economics professor, on Monday gave her first media interview since joining the board in March.
Inflation is surprisingly strong, increasing the possibility that the Bank of Japan will raise its interest rate by the end of the year, according to Tsutomu Watanabe, an emeritus economics professor at the University of Tokyo.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jul 4, 2025
Â鶹´«Ã½ inflation is outpacing BOJ¡¯s view, expert says
The remarks of Tsutomu Watanabe, a former central bank official, are likely to feed market expectations for another interest rate hike this year.
Bank of Japan officials now see inflation slightly outpacing earlier forecasts, potentially paving the way for rate hike talks if global trade tensions subside, sources say.
BUSINESS / Economy
Jun 13, 2025
BOJ is said to see inflation running stronger than expected
Some officials see the relative strength in inflation reflecting a change in price-setting behavior with sharp increases in the price of rice likely to harden inflationary views.
Since last summer, the Bank of Japan has been reducing its buying of government bonds by ?400 billion every quarter, but that process will come to a halt, according to former board member Makoto Sakurai.
BUSINESS
Jun 3, 2025
BOJ likely to stop cutting bond purchases in next fiscal year, ex-official says
The government¡¯s cost for debt servicing has risen to about a quarter of its budget for this fiscal year, thanks partly to higher interest rates.
The Bank of Japan will likely postpone raising interest rates due to uncertainties stemming from U.S. tariff measures that could deal a blow to Â鶹´«Ã½ economy, a former executive director said.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 15, 2025
BOJ will likely put rate hike aside for now, ex-official says
¡°They will be in a wait-and-see mode for a while,¡± said Kenzo Yamamoto, a former executive at the Bank of Japan.
Seiji Adachi, a former member of the Bank of Japan's Policy Board, says there is a chance of a May rate hike.
BUSINESS / Economy
Apr 3, 2025
Ex-board member who just left BOJ sees chance of May rate hike
Seiji Adachi, whose five-year term ended last week, said he would probably vote for a rate hike in the central bank¡¯s May meeting if one was proposed.
Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda has indicated he has little problem with the recent rising yield trend.
BUSINESS
Mar 13, 2025
Shift in BOJ stance favors free market functioning over intervention
People familiar with the central bank¡¯s policy approach say the market should decide rates, and that investors need to get used to a world without yield curve control.
Kazuo Momma, a former executive director in charge of monetary policy at the Bank of Japan, says June is the favored option for the central bank's next rate hike.
BUSINESS / Economy
Mar 11, 2025
BOJ¡¯s next rate hike likely in June, former executive says
Kazuo Momma, a former executive director in charge of monetary policy, says the central bank is likely to move roughly every six months to maintain expectations.
America¡¯s cyberforces grapple with cluster of deaths by suicide
The U.S. Cyber Command building (center) stands on the National Security Agency campus at Fort Meade, Maryland.
Many Indonesians named after Japanese anime characters
Some people in Indonesia are named Doraemon, the name of a lead character of the blockbuster anime series with the same title.
Yasukuni Shrine introduces ban on military attire and cosplay
People gather in front of thousands of lanterns on display at Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on July 15 during the Mitama Matsuri, one of the capital's largest summer o-Bon festivals.
As countries ban social media for children, Japan mulls a different approach
Data from NTT Docomo¡¯s Mobile Society Research Institute released in June found that 55% of respondents across all age groups said they fiddled with their phones when they had nothing to do, even when another person was in front of them.
¡®Total whiplash¡¯: Foreign residents react to Â鶹´«Ã½ changing permanent residency rules
The entrance to the Tokyo Immigration Bureau in Minato Ward, Tokyo, in March. For some foreign residents of Japan, tightening measures for permanent residency have become one factor in a broader calculation over whether remaining in the country makes financial sense over the long term.
¡®Total whiplash¡¯: Foreign residents react to Â鶹´«Ã½ changing permanent residency rules
The entrance to the Tokyo Immigration Bureau in Minato Ward, Tokyo, in March. For some foreign residents of Japan, tightening measures for permanent residency have become one factor in a broader calculation over whether remaining in the country makes financial sense over the long term.
As Â鶹´«Ã½ concrete jungles sizzle, urban forestry offers an all-natural fix
People and birds find relief from the sun in Tokyo's Nakano Ward earlier this month. While experts agree that urban greening is crucial to mitigating the impact of climate change, trees are becoming even more scarce in Japanese cities.
Â鶹´«Ã½ brewers experiment with a secret ingredient: music
At Smoke Craft, a craft beer brewery in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, music isn't just a background to the brewing process ¡ª it's an ingredient.
As countries ban social media for children, Japan mulls a different approach
Data from NTT Docomo¡¯s Mobile Society Research Institute released in June found that 55% of respondents across all age groups said they fiddled with their phones when they had nothing to do, even when another person was in front of them.
J. League enters new era as league kicks off first fall-spring campaign
Players from each J. League club pose during a kickoff event on Monday ahead of the start of the 2026-27 campaign.

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Disaster relief workers Taichi Kato (left) and Seiji Yoshimura enter the collapsed living quarters at Kyuganji temple in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture.
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