Report: Takashi Sanae expressed concerns to Ueda Kazuo about further interest rate hikes.

According to sources cited by the media on Tuesday, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi expressed concerns about further interest rate hikes during her meeting with Bank of Japan Governor Kikuo Iwata last week. If the reports are true, Takaichi's recent statement refusing to raise interest rates again could complicate the central bank's plans, as coordination with the newly appointed government would become more challenging. Following this report, the yen weakened against the US dollar and the euro. Iwata stated that last Monday's meeting primarily involved general discussions on the economic and financial situation, and that the Prime Minister did not specifically request any monetary policy measures. Takaichi herself did not comment on the specific details of their meeting, only stating that she hopes the central bank can closely cooperate with the government to achieve its 2% inflation target, along with wage growth. Market participants speculate that rising living costs due to factors such as a weak yen could prompt the Bank of Japan to raise interest rates in March or April.