Crucially, rising expectations of a BoJ rate hike clash with bets on a December Fed rate cut, signaling a reversal of USD/JPY’s November gains.
Tokyo Inflation and Retail Sales Spotlight the BoJ
Headline inflation for Tokyo increased 2.7% year-on-year in November, easing from 2.8% in October. However, the so-called core-core inflation rate held steady at 2.8%, well above the BoJ’s 2% target.
November’s data supported economists’ predictions for a December rate hike. In the November Reuters poll, conducted between November 11 and 18, 43 of 81 economists expected the BoJ to raise interest rates by 25 basis points to 0.75% on December 19.
Meanwhile, consumers opened their purse strings in October, indicating an economic recovery in the fourth quarter. Retail sales rose by 1.7% year-on-year, up sharply from a 0.2% increase in September. Rising consumer spending may fuel demand-driven inflation, bolstering the case for tighter monetary policy, given that inflation remains well above the BoJ’s target.
Wage Growth Trends Strengthen the Policy Narrative
Friday’s data followed updates from wage negotiations, with Japanese labor unions calling for another hefty wage hike in the spring of 2026. Notably, early signs of strong wage growth would ease the BoJ’s concerns over US tariffs having a longer-term impact on the Japanese economy. Higher wages could boost private consumption, which accounts for around 55% of GDP.
For context, the Japanese economy contracted by 0.4% quarter-on-quarter in the third quarter after expanding by 0.6% the previous quarter. Private consumption increased just 0.1% in the quarter, down from 0.4% in the second quarter.
AloJapan.com