Agency: It is expected that the Bank of Japan will raise policy rates in April.

Economists at SMBC Nikko Securities have stated that based on the assumption that tensions in the Middle East will ease in about a month, the Bank of Japan is likely to raise interest rates to 1% at its next meeting in April. These economists have noted that at last week's meeting, Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda emphasized the trend of proactive pricing behavior by businesses and indicated that many Policy Board members are prioritizing the upward risks to core inflation. These remarks suggest that Kuroda himself is leaning towards focusing on potential over-tightening of inflation.