Bank of Japan (BoJ) board member Toyoaki Nakamura stated on Thursday that while he is not opposed to raising interest rates, any such decision must be grounded in a thorough analysis of economic data. Speaking ahead of the BoJ’s December meeting, Nakamura noted the importance of upcoming data, including the Tankan survey, in assessing whether a rate hike would be appropriate.
Nakamura highlighted that Japan’s economy remains in a recovery phase rather than full expansion. He stressed the need for flexibility, rejecting any fixed timelines for adjusting interest rates. His cautious stance reflects concerns about the sustainability of wage growth and broader economic resilience, which remain critical to the BoJ’s policy considerations.
This comes as the Japanese Yen clings to modest intraday gains against the US Dollar. However, traders are awaiting further clarity from the BoJ’s monetary policy direction, especially as Governor Kazuo Ueda and other officials continue to emphasize the significance of wage trends in guiding their decisions.