Japan’s Top FX Diplomat Kanda: Will Respond To FX Moves If Moves Become Excessive

Opinions on Economic and Financial Developments Economic Developments • Japan's economy, despite being affected by factors such as past high commodity prices, has picked up as private consumption, for example, has increased moderately. Although the economy is likely to recover moderately, attention needs to be paid to factors such as developments in overseas economies. • The domestic economy has been resilient on the whole. A business sentiment indicator has been higher than the break-even point between improvement and deterioration, and firms' positive stance toward business fixed investment has been maintained. • Factors behind significant improvement since April in households' sentiment indicators include not only the normalization of economic activity but also the achievement of wage increases at high levels. Attention is warranted on whether these developments, together with the effects of the recent rise in stock prices, will lead to supporting positive developments among firms and households.  It is necessary to assess whether there is a higher possibility of achieving wage increases that can keep up with inflation by (1) examining, for example, initiatives toward implementing a system of job-based pay that is appropriate for Japan and the situation with a view to next year's wage negotiations and (2) gathering information on progress with strengthen post at 7:51pm: BOJ SUMMARY OF OPINIONS: IT IS APPROPRIATE TO MAINTAIN CURRENT MONETARY EASING. post at 7:52pm: BOJ SUMMARY OF OPINIONS: WAGE GROWTH IS REQUIRED, NOT MERELY COST-PUSH INFLATION, TO SUSTAINABLY AND CONSISTENTLY MEET THE PRICE OBJECTIVE. post at 7:52pm: BOJ SUMMARY OF OPINIONS: IT IS EARLY TO CHANGE POLICY BECAUSE SMALLER ENTERPRISES ARE EAGER TO RAISE WAGES AND INVEST MORE. post at 7:54pm: BOJ SUMMARY OF OPINIONS: BOJ MUST MAINTAIN EASY POLICY WHILE KEEPING AN EYE ON SIDE EFFECTS BECAUSE THE LONG-TERM RISK TO PRICES IS WEIGHTED TO THE DOWNSIDE.