BOJ "Now is the perfect opportunity to end negative interest rates"

The end of Japan's negative interest rate policy is imminent, as revealed by the Bank of Japan (BOJ) meeting minutes.

On the 31st (local time), Bloomberg reported that last week's BOJ meeting was a strong signal that Japan is approaching its first interest rate hike since 2007. It also noted that some BOJ members used the opportunity to confirm the conditions that could justify ending the negative interest rate policy.

One BOJ member stated in the minutes, "It appears that the conditions for policy adjustments, including ending the negative interest rate policy, are being met," adding, "This is based on the likelihood of expected outcomes from this year's annual wage negotiations and signs of improvement in the economy and inflation."

Another member expressed, "If we do not take advantage of the current situation, where we can act ahead of other major global central banks such as the Federal Reserve's pivot, we will not be able to escape the side effects of negative interest rates until the recovery phase arrives," emphasizing, "Now is a golden opportunity."

Shoki Omori, a strategist at Mizuho Securities, said, "The BOJ clearly indicated that it has begun laying the groundwork for tightening monetary policy," adding, "The end of the negative interest rate policy is imminent, likely in either March or April."

Bloomberg reported that after the minutes were released, the yen's value rose by 0.3%, and the yield on Japan's 10-year government bonds increased to 0.75%.

Meanwhile, Governor Ueda stated that even after the negative interest rate ends, financial conditions will remain extremely accommodative. This aligns with analysts' views that Japan's benchmark interest rate will remain much lower at 0.5% compared to the Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank (ECB).

One board member added, "We cannot exclude accommodative monetary policy until we assess the impact of the earthquake that struck the northwest region of Japan at the beginning of the year," and noted, "It will take two to three months to normalize policy."