{
  "id": 8132227,
  "title": "Bank of Japan set to raise interest rates to 31-year high",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/bank-of-japan-set-to-raise-interest-rates-to-31-year-high",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-09-18T00:29:32.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "New Straits Times",
    "slug": "new-straits-times",
    "url": "https://www.nst.com.my/business/corporate/2026/09/1535175/bank-japan-set-raise-interest-rates-31-year-high"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Bank of Japan (BoJ) is poised to raise interest rates to a 31-year high on Friday, aiming to combat inflation risks that could surge if the US begins a rate-hike cycle and weakens the yen against the dollar, according to <source>. This move would mark the first hike in three months and bring rates closer to the BoJ's target for economic neutrality, a departure from decades of ultra-low rates that made the yen a cheap global funding currency <source>. The Federal Reserve's recent rate hike and potential further increases later in the year have pressured the BoJ to keep pace, as a widening US-Japan rate gap could weaken the yen and lift inflation through higher import costs, analysts suggest <source>. If the Federal Reserve hikes rates again in December, the BoJ may have to follow suit <source>. At their two-day meeting, the BoJ is expected to raise its policy rate to 1.25% from 1%, bringing it to levels unseen since 1995 and within the BoJ's estimated neutral rate range of 1.1% to 2.5% <source>. While core consumer inflation remained steady near the BoJ's 2% target in August, stronger-than-expected inflation could persist, with wholesale inflation rising due to weak yen and high energy costs <source>. Despite the expected rate hike, the BoJ still lags behind global peers, including the European Central Bank and the US Federal Reserve, in terms of its policy rate <source>. The BoJ governor, Kazuo Ueda, has been cautious about the timing and pace of future rate hikes, emphasizing the need to monitor inflation conditions and financial conditions <source>.",
  "summary": "TOKYO: The Bank of Japan (BoJ) is set to raise interest rates to a 31-year high on Friday and pledge to deliver more to counter inflation risks, which may heighten if the start of a US rate-hike cycle weakens the yen against the dollar.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 7,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "Bank of Japan set to raise interest rates to 31-year high",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/bank-of-japan-set-to-raise-interest-rates-to-31-year-high",
        "published": "2026-09-17T22:06:18.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Business Times - Companies & Markets",
        "title": "Bank of Japan set to raise interest rates to 31-year high",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/17/bank-of-japan-set-to-raise-interest-rates-to-31-year-high-8121214",
        "published": "2026-09-17T22:35:11.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Straits Times Business",
        "title": "Stocks rise as oil dips, yen wobbles ahead of Bank of Japan meeting",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/stocks-rise-as-oil-dips-yen-wobbles-ahead-of-bank-of-japan-meeting",
        "published": "2026-09-18T01:54:13.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Financial Times",
        "title": "Bank of Japan raises rates to 1.25%",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/bank-of-japan-raises-rates-to-1-25",
        "published": "2026-09-18T02:59:14.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "CoinDesk",
        "title": "Bank of Japan raises interest rates by 25 basis points. Bitcoin tops $77,000",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/bank-of-japan-raises-interest-rates-by-25-basis-points-bitcoin-tops",
        "published": "2026-09-18T03:03:38.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "New Straits Times",
        "title": "Bank of Japan raises interest rates to 31-year high",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/bank-of-japan-raises-interest-rates-to-31-year-high",
        "published": "2026-09-18T03:20:20.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}