A former senior Japanese foreign-exchange diplomat and ex-IMF deputy managing director said the yen is noticeably weak and rising import costs are damaging the economy. He warned that if the yen returns to levels seen before last month’s coordinated intervention, Japan and the US could jointly intervene in the FX market again at any time, and any action would not be tied to specific levels such as JPY160 or JPY162. He said intervention only buys time; the fundamental remedy is faster Bank of Jap

A former senior Japanese foreign-exchange diplomat and ex-IMF deputy managing director said the yen is noticeably weak and rising import costs are damaging the economy. He warned that if the yen returns to levels seen before last month’s coordinated intervention, Japan and the US could jointly intervene in the FX market again at any time, and any action would not be tied to specific levels such as JPY160 or JPY162. He said intervention only buys time; the fundamental remedy is faster Bank of Japan tightening. He expects a BoJ hike in September, a follow-up in December or January, and a terminal policy rate around 1.5–1.75% based on a neutral rate estimate of 1.1–2.5%. Further hikes could follow in the fiscal year starting April 2027 if growth persists.