Out of 19 economists, 18 agreed on prospects of a rate hike, with most pointing to a recent change in tone of the BOJ leadership as driving their expectations.

The Bank of Japan is expected to raise interest rates on Friday barring any market shocks when U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office, a move that would lift short-term borrowing costs to levels unseen since the 2008 global financial crisis.

With markets fully pricing in an interest rate hike by the Bank of Japan (BoJ) on Friday, the head of Rengo – Japan’s largest national trade union center said Wednesday that he agrees with the BoJ there is wage hike momentum in Japanese regions.

Japan's retailers, typically among the most tight-fisted of employers, are offering big pay increases for a second year in a row, meaning squeezed profits for companies, more spending money for workers,

The Bank of Japan is likely to raise rates at its January 24 meeting following recent supportive comments from BoJ governor Kazuo Ueda and deputy Ryozo Himino.

Keidanren head Tokura’s comments create a positive backdrop for the BOJ as its board prepares to deliver its policy decision on Friday.

Markets have also focused on a speech by Ueda’s deputy last week that was widely interpreted as suggesting conditions would now justify an increase. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Japanese government bond rose to 1.25 per cent — the highest since April 2011 — in the wake of his comments.

Visitor numbers are set to rise to 40.2 million in 2025, driven by the weak yen and the World Expo 2025. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Bank of Japan Deputy Governor Ryozo Himino has signaled that an interest rate hike may be on the cards at the monetary policy meeting on January 23-24, as many of the shocks to the Japanese economy and deflationary factors have been resolved.

TOKYO -- The Bank of Japan's long-term quantitative and qualitative easing measures since 2013 had the side effect of loosening fiscal discipline, 64% of respondents said in a new Nikkei poll of economists.

Japan's core machinery orders rose 3.4% in November from the previous month to beat analysts' forecast, government data showed on Monday, signalling a recovery in capital expenditure ahead of a central bank interest rate review later this week.

He also indicated that there is room for the Bank of Japan to raise interest rates. In its economic forecast released Thursday, the World Bank predicted Japan's gross domestic product will grow a ...