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2026-02-16 19:18:24
[Kazuo Ueda Says Meeting Was Without Pressure, Prime Minister Did Not Make Specific Demands] ⑴ Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said on Monday that his meeting with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi lasted only 20 minutes. They discussed the overall economic and financial situation, and Takaichi did not make any specific policy demands. ⑵ Investors and economists are trying to determine whether Takaichi, now in a more stable political position, will slow the pace of interest rate hikes to protect economic growth, or urge the central bank to take action to support the yen. ⑶ Hideo Kumano, a former Bank of Japan official and executive economist at the Dai-Ichi Life Research Institute, believes that Takaichi probably wanted to complete the meeting quickly to avoid unnecessary market speculation if they met long after the election. Ueda likely shares this view. ⑷ Due to the short meeting, it is unlikely that the two sides had in-depth discussions on policy paths. Ueda declined to comment on whether Takaichi agreed with his views on the central bank's policy stance.
