Japan Weeks Ahead: BOJ Has Cleared First Major Goal of Lifting Near Zero Inflation to around 2% But Still Needs to Anchor Price Rises amid Upward Pressure from High Energy, Import Costs
–Q3 GDP Forecast to Be Nearly Flat with Slight Growth as Bad Weather Dampened Consumer Spending, Net Exports Likely Posted Technical Slip After Q2 Import Plunge By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Bank of Japan policymakers have declared that the bank’s goal set more than a decade ago to lift near zero inflation to a stable […]
Preview: Forecasters See Tokyo CPI Staying Well above BOJ’s 2% Target in October
Consensus outlook for Mace NewsFriday, October 30, 2026 0830 JST (2330 GMT/1930 EDT Thursday, October 29) The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications releases October Tokyo CPI.Mace News median: total CPI +2.7% y/y (range: +2.4% to +2.9%) vs. Sept +2.7%; core CPI (ex-fresh food) +2.7% (range: +2.4% to +2.8%) vs. Sept +2.7%; core-core CPI (ex-fresh […]
Japan Week Ahead: BOJ Set to Leave Policy Rate at 1.25% as Its Mission Shifts from Normalizing Super-Low Rates to Keeping Underlying Inflation from Overshooting 2% Target
–October Tokyo CPI Inflation Expected to Remain Close to 3% as Metropolitan Government’s Summer Water Subsidies End, Base Effect of Free Daycare Servies Wanes –September Factory Output Seen Posting Modest Rebound on Global AI Projects, Auto Recovery; Retail Sales Boosted by Cooler Weather, Holiday Streak By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Bank of Japan Governor […]
Japan Week Ahead: BOJ Policymakers Set for More Rate Hikes While Prime Minister Takaichi in Rough Seas Seeking Temporary Sales Tax Cut on Food
–September Trade Data to Show Resilient Exports, Consumer Inflation Seen Rising Above BOJ’s 2% Target By Max Sato (MaceNews) – The Bank of Japan is on course toward lifting the short-term interest rate further to ensure it is clearly in a neutral zone – its original aim under the normalization process launched three years ago […]
Japan Week Ahead: BOJ Policymakers to Digest More Q3 Data Before Their Oct. 29-30 Meeting; Board Widely Expected to Hold Rates Steady Until December or January
–September Producer Inflation Forecast to Remain Elevated Above 7%, August Machinery Orders Expected to Rebound amid Solid Capex Demand By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Ahead of their Oct. 29-30 meeting, Bank of Japan policymakers will get to see more data for the third quarter that is set to show resilient exports and elevated costs for […]
Japan Week Ahead: Tokyo CPI Data Expected to See Signs of Growing Upside Risks to Inflation, AI Projects Boon for Factory Output but Damper for Consumers
–BOJ Tankan Survey to Show AI Boom Lifting Manufacturer Sentiment, High Costs Making Services Sector Slightly Less Confident By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Behind the Bank of Japan’s accelerated pace of interest rate increases this month were creeping upside risks to inflation as the lingering Iran war and the stubbornly weak yen threaten to keep […]
Japan Week Ahead: Forex Trading in Holiday Week Seen Choppy, Cautious amid Signs MOF Ready to Intervene to Prop Up Yen After BOJ Rate Hike Did Little to Help
–Data Calendar Thin Until Sept. 28 Week When BOJ’s Tankan Survey Set to Show Manufacturer Sentiment Improved Sharply in Q3 on Global AI Boom By Max Sato (MaceNews) – The coming week is quieter on the economic policy and data fronts after the Bank of Japan followed up on its June rate hike on Friday […]
Bank of Japan Hikes Policy Interest Rate to 1.25% from 1% in 7 to 2 Vote, Repeats It Will Continue to Raise Rate as Part of Normalization
By Max Sato –BOJ Points to Upside Risks to its Inflation Outlook, Notes Financial Conditions Expected to Remain Supportive to Economic Activity (MaceNews) – The Bank of Japan’s nine-member board on Friday decided to raise the target for the overnight interest rate to 1.25% from 1% in a 7 to 2 vote, warning that elevated […]
Japan Week Ahead: BOJ Set to Raise Policy Rate to 1.25% from 1% at Sept. 17-18 Meeting, Markets Eye Another Hike in December or January
–August Exports to Continue Showing Resilience, July Machinery Orders to Dip After Sharp Rebound, August CPI Seen Steady to Slightly Up around BOJ’s 2% Target By Max Sato (MaceNews) – Official comments and economic data suggest that it is both necessary and safe to accelerate the pace of the Bank of Japan’s normalization rate hikes, […]
Japan Week Ahead: BOJ Governor Ueda Repeats Board Will Have Serious Debate on Need for Follow-Up Rate Hike This Month
–Q2 GDP to Be Revised Up Slightly, August Producer Inflation to Show Elevated Costs By Max Sato (MaceNews) – About two weeks before the Bank of Japan’s next policy meeting on Sept. 17-18, Governor Kazuo Ueda sent out a cautious but suggestive message to the markets that he and his colleagues will have a serious […]