Japan Economics Weekly BoJ’s optimism will be put to the test The recent pick-up in crude oil prices vindicates the Bank of Japan’s concerns about upside risks to inflation. To be sure, the renewed closure of the Strait of Hormuz could prompt the Bank to flag... 17th July 2026 · 5 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly GPIF set to come to the bond market’s rescue Finance Minister Katayama’s announcement that the government will encourage pension funds, including the GPIF, to invest more in Japanese financial assets has helped unwind the spike in bond yields... 10th July 2026 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly BoJ will have to respond to stronger inflation The latest Tankan survey showed that output prices hit a record high, driven by the influence of higher energy costs on upstream industries. While higher input costs will be passed on to consumers... 3rd July 2026 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly Investment splurge may lift bond yields further The government’s new investment target may well turn out to be smoke and mirrors. But large-scale attempts to influence private investment decisions could result in resource misallocation and lower... 26th June 2026 · 5 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly Urgency for further monetary tightening diminishing The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz vindicates the BoJ’s assessment that downside risks to economic activity have declined. But the resulting plunge in crude oil prices also means that inflationary... 19th June 2026 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly BoJ on track to hike despite Ueda’s absence Following his unexpected hospitalisation, Governor Ueda will miss next week's BoJ meeting. However, with inflation pressures continuing to build, there will almost certainly still be a majority in... 12th June 2026 · 5 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly Japan edges closer to policy normalisation BoJ Governor Ueda strongly hinted this week that a rate hike is imminent, with policymakers growing concerned about falling behind the inflation curve. With wage growth remaining historically strong... 5th June 2026 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly Resilient activity data point to rate hike next month While the BoJ’s measures of underlying inflation were the weakest they’ve been in years in April, the recent surge in input costs due to the Iran War will result in a renewed strengthening. Indeed... 29th May 2026 · 5 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly Bank of Japan will lift rates to 2% by end-2027 We learned this week that the Japanese economy was in solid shape on the eve of the Iran war. Moreover, the May PMIs suggest that the Bank of Japan’s fears of a steep downturn are unlikely to... 22nd May 2026 · 5 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly Hawkish BoJ lifts 10-year yield to three-decade high The 10-year JGB yield climbed to a three decade high this week in response to hawkish signals from the Bank of Japan and reports that the government will compile a supplementary budget to keep the... 15th May 2026 · 7 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly Risks remain tilted towards BoJ holding its fire We suspect the Bank of Japan won't read too much into the slowdown in core inflation in Tokyo in April, nor will it see the recent rally in the yen as a precursor to softer imported inflation. However... 8th May 2026 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly BoJ keen to hike but risks tilted towards further delay We are sending this publication one day earlier than usual because our Singapore office is closed due to a public holiday on 1st May. The Bank of Japan is clearly worried about the inflationary... 30th April 2026 · 5 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly AI revolution still largely bypassing Japan The external trade data for March showed that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has started to reduce energy inflows from the Middle East. But the more striking development is the recent... 24th April 2026 · 5 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly BoJ will wait until June before tightening policy again Bank of Japan Governor Ueda signaled this week that a rate hike at the Bank’s April meeting is off the table. While there’s a risk of prolonged inaction, a reopening of the Strait of Hormuz over the... 17th April 2026 · 6 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly Stagflationary impact of energy shock now evident The plunge in consumer confidence coupled with the rather modest rise in import and producer prices last month seems to suggest that the net impact of the energy cost shock will be deflationary. But... 10th April 2026 · 4 mins read
Japan Economics Weekly Case for April rate hike strengthening We are sending this Japan Economics Weekly one day earlier than usual because our Singapore office is closed on Good Friday, 3rd April. Hawkish signals by BoJ policymakers coupled with the resilience... 2nd April 2026 · 5 mins read
