THE Bank of Japan, after clearly signalling last week’s interest rate hike, may return to its accustomed fuzzy guidance about central bank policy to maintain flexibility when it eventually begins to consider how much tightening is enough.

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The Bank of Japan raised its key policy rate to the highest level since 2008 and took a more bullish view on the strength of inflation.

In a widely anticipated move, the Bank of Japan on Jan. 24 raised its short-term policy rate to 0.50% from 0.25%. Read more here.

Good morning. The Bank of Japan raises its interest rate to the highest level in 17 years. Inflation concerns may be making a comeback in the euro area. And the rise of women’s soccer in England is hiding a financial struggle.

Setting rates in Japan will become a delicate balancing act if tariffs materialize.

The Bank of Japan has raised short-term interest rates by a quarter point, the highest in 17 years, signalling efforts to normalise monetary policy in response to persistent inflation and increasing wages.

Japan's central bank has increased the cost of borrowing to its highest level in 17 years after consumer price rises accelerated in December. The move by the Bank of Japan (BOJ) to raise its short-term policy rate to "around 0.5 per cent" comes just hours after the latest economic data showed prices rose last month at the fastest pace in 16 months.

“It’s DeepSeek for sure,” said one Tokyo-based fund manager of the sudden drop in Japanese tech shares, adding that the market was readjusting to the idea that hardware spending on AI — a theme that had benefited certain Japanese companies — could be a lot lower than current estimates.

The dollar firmed on Monday as traders pondered the ramifications of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff plans at the start of a week where the Federal Reserve is widely expected to hold interest rates steady.

Giving explicit advance signals, in addition to making the Bank of Japan feel boxed in, could breach Japanese law stipulating the nine-member board must debate and sign off on rate decisions at each policy meeting.