日本央行前委员：日本央行6月加息至关重要，否则将落后于通胀形势

Odaily Planet Daily News: Makoto Sakurai, who served as a Bank of Japan board member from 2016 to 2021, stated that the BOJ is highly likely to raise interest rates next month, and this meeting will determine whether policymakers can avoid falling behind the inflation curve.

"They are highly likely to raise rates this time. If they don't, their policy will fall behind the curve. This meeting is extremely important," Sakurai said on Friday. Sakurai added that if officials do not act now, they could miss the window for a rate hike and be forced to postpone the next increase indefinitely due to the ongoing high uncertainty stemming from the Iran conflict. Sakurai's comments came as the yen hovered near levels that prompted Japanese authorities to intervene in the currency market last month, heightening the risk that rising import costs could further fuel inflation.

Data released on Friday showed that the Tokyo inflation gauge watched by the BOJ rose 1.3% in May from a year earlier, a slower-than-expected pace and the smallest increase in four years. The slowdown was mainly attributed to a temporary reduction in water charges by the Tokyo metropolitan government. Sakurai noted that the Tokyo inflation data was distorted by technical factors and will not alter the BOJ's policy path, with core inflation likely to accelerate again later this year. Sanae Takaichi, a long-time supporter of loose monetary policy, is seen as a potential obstacle to rate hikes. Sakurai said that after U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent signaled broad support for further rate increases during his visit to Japan earlier this month, Takaichi may now allow BOJ policymakers to make their own judgment. (Jin Shi)