Japan economy minister Ryosei Akazawa said on Friday that Japan’s economy is at a 'critical stage' in eradicating the public's deflationary mindset.
Key quotes
No change to the government's stance to work closely with the BOJ on policy with an eye on the economy and prices.
In deciding whether to declare a full exit from deflation, what's important is to ensure Japan does not slip back into deflation again.
Once we are able to declare a full end to deflation, we can relieve ourselves from deploying the tools we had in store to fight deflation.
Japan's economy is at a 'critical stage' in eradicating the public's deflationary mindset and shifting to a phase where growth is spearheaded by higher wages and investment.
Market reaction
At the time of writing, the USD/JPY pair is trading near 158.03, holding lower while losing 0.06% on the day
Japanese Yen FAQs
The Japanese Yen (JPY) is one of the world’s most traded currencies. Its value is broadly determined by the performance of the Japanese economy, but more specifically by the Bank of Japan’s policy, the differential between Japanese and US bond yields, or risk sentiment among traders, among other factors.
One of the Bank of Japan’s mandates is currency control, so its moves are key for the Yen. The BoJ has directly intervened in currency markets sometimes, generally to lower the value of the Yen, although it refrains from doing it often due to political concerns of its main trading partners. The BoJ ultra-loose monetary policy between 2013 and 2024 caused the Yen to depreciate against its main currency peers due to an increasing policy divergence between the Bank of Japan and other main central banks. More recently, the gradually unwinding of this ultra-loose policy has given some support to the Yen.
Over the last decade, the BoJ’s stance of sticking to ultra-loose monetary policy has led to a widening policy divergence with other central banks, particularly with the US Federal Reserve. This supported a widening of the differential between the 10-year US and Japanese bonds, which favored the US Dollar against the Japanese Yen. The BoJ decision in 2024 to gradually abandon the ultra-loose policy, coupled with interest-rate cuts in other major central banks, is narrowing this differential.
The Japanese Yen is often seen as a safe-haven investment. This means that in times of market stress, investors are more likely to put their money in the Japanese currency due to its supposed reliability and stability. Turbulent times are likely to strengthen the Yen’s value against other currencies seen as more risky to invest in.
Information on these pages contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Markets and instruments profiled on this page are for informational purposes only and should not in any way come across as a recommendation to buy or sell in these assets. You should do your own thorough research before making any investment decisions. FXStreet does not in any way guarantee that this information is free from mistakes, errors, or material misstatements. It also does not guarantee that this information is of a timely nature. Investing in Open Markets involves a great deal of risk, including the loss of all or a portion of your investment, as well as emotional distress. All risks, losses and costs associated with investing, including total loss of principal, are your responsibility. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of FXStreet nor its advertisers. The author will not be held responsible for information that is found at the end of links posted on this page.
If not otherwise explicitly mentioned in the body of the article, at the time of writing, the author has no position in any stock mentioned in this article and no business relationship with any company mentioned. The author has not received compensation for writing this article, other than from FXStreet.
FXStreet and the author do not provide personalized recommendations. The author makes no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability of this information. FXStreet and the author will not be liable for any errors, omissions or any losses, injuries or damages arising from this information and its display or use. Errors and omissions excepted.
The author and FXStreet are not registered investment advisors and nothing in this article is intended to be investment advice.
Recommended content
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD holds lower ground below 1.0300 as traders await US NFP
EUR/USD holds lower ground below 1.0300 in European trading hours on Friday. Concerns over US President-elect Trump's policies and hawkish Fed expectations favor the US Dollar ahead of the critical US Nonfarm Payrolls data release.
GBP/USD falls back below 1.2300, US NFP eyed
GBP/USD is falling back below 1.2300 in the European morning on Friday, failing to sustain the rebound. The pair remains vulnerable amid persistent US Dollat strength and the UK bond market turmoil. The focus now shifts to the US labor market data for fresh trading directives.
Gold price sticks to intraday gains near multi-week top; US NFP in focus
Gold price attracts buyers for the fourth straight day on Friday amid some haven flows. The Fed’s hawkish stance, elevated US bond yields and a bullish USD should cap gains. Traders might also opt to wait for the release of the key US NFP report later this Friday.
Nonfarm Payrolls forecast: US December job gains set to decline sharply from November
US Nonfarm Payrolls are expected to rise by 160K in December after jumping by 227K in November. US jobs data is set to rock the US Dollar after hawkish Fed Minutes published on Wednesday.
How to trade NFP, one of the most volatile events Premium
NFP is the acronym for Nonfarm Payrolls, arguably the most important economic data release in the world. The indicator, which provides a comprehensive snapshot of the health of the US labor market, is typically published on the first Friday of each month.
Best Forex Brokers with Low Spreads
VERIFIED Low spreads are crucial for reducing trading costs. Explore top Forex brokers offering competitive spreads and high leverage. Compare options for EUR/USD, GBP/USD, USD/JPY, and Gold.