Bank of Japan (BoJ)
People: April to June 2026
A round-up of central bankers in the news and on the move during the past three months
BoJ’s Masa calls for tightening at ‘earliest stage possible’
Board member indicates conditions for rate rises are forming as inflation approaches 2% target
BIS announces board changes
Panetta elected chair, plus new roles for heads of RBA, BCB, BoJ and BoK
People: Macron nominates ex-chief of staff to take over at BdF
Plus: BoJ appoints new head of international affairs, and MNB deputy joins EBA board
BoJ mulled rate hike at March meeting if Iran war dragged on
Minutes show many board members cautioned against monetary response to energy shock
Japan suspected to have intervened again after yen jumps
Experts say currency would not automatically lose free-floating status with further FX interventions
Asean+3 to prioritise digital cross-border payment co-operation
Group looking to open joint forum on tokenisation and stablecoins
Japan’s government reportedly intervenes in FX market
First intervention in nearly two years after yen fell to weakest level since July 2024
BoJ holds rates and halves growth forecast
Three dissenting votes mark largest split under Ueda, who points to ‘significantly’ higher inflation
Banknotes: January to March 2026
A round-up of news and salient issues that have affected central bankers in the past three months
As new gauge puts CPI above 2%, is BoJ prepping for a hike?
Revised data shows price growth at a level the bank said would trigger tightening
For collateral, can TINA become TIA?
US Treasuries’ dominance as collateral in repo and derivatives is no longer set in stone, argues economist
YCC, carry trades and the changing role of the yen
Marcello Minenna argues that as the BoJ adjusts its policy regime, changes in carry positioning are increasing the instability of the correlation between exchange rates and yield differentials
BoJ holds as Middle East conflict threatens higher inflation
Ueda says Japanese firms could pass on costs ‘more aggressively’ than after start of Ukraine war
BoJ bond holdings peaked at 77% between 2015 and 2024
Researchers find central bank’s debt holdings had non-linear impact on market liquidity
Asian central banks prepare for conflict-induced energy shock
IMF’s Georgieva says Iran war creates energy and confidence risks for most of region
Japan to trial blockchain-based central bank money settlement
BoJ’s Ueda says sandbox underway for ‘wide range of settlements’
BoJ’s path to normalisation less certain with Iran conflict
Ueda suggests rate hikes will continue, but analysts point to a range of possible scenarios
Ueda hints at further rate hikes after dovish BoJ appointments
Analysts expect board’s stance to change little after PM nominates two new policy-makers
Policy normalisation may cause economic contraction – BoJ study
Effects greater under less credible forward guidance, central bank researchers find
This is not quite Japan’s ‘Truss moment’ – ex-BoJ board member
Experts add that central bank is unlikely to have to intervene directly in sovereign bond market