Former Bank of Japan officials warned US Treasury Secretary Bessent’s “unusual” intervention in Japanese monetary affairs could undermine BOJ credibility and amplify global market volatility. Markets are pricing a 25bp BOJ rate hike at next week’s meeting, an acceleration versus earlier expectations. Bessent has intensified verbal pressure in recent weeks, provoking traders to bet against him and claiming insider knowledge of the BOJ’s intentions. Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said the US tr

Former Bank of Japan officials warned US Treasury Secretary Bessent’s “unusual” intervention in Japanese monetary affairs could undermine BOJ credibility and amplify global market volatility. Markets are pricing a 25bp BOJ rate hike at next week’s meeting, an acceleration versus earlier expectations. Bessent has intensified verbal pressure in recent weeks, provoking traders to bet against him and claiming insider knowledge of the BOJ’s intentions. Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama said the US treasury’s “I’m the house” warning to bond traders sounds “a bit scary” in Japanese. Takahide Kiuchi, executive economist at Nomura Research Institute and a former senior BOJ official, called the intervention unusual and potentially damaging to BOJ independence; another ex-official warned that perceived external influence on rate-setting would make markets more skeptical of future BOJ guidance.