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[1/8] Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken shake hands at the prime minister's official residence Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, in Tokyo, Japan. "Our commitment to continue strict sanctions against Russia and strong support for Ukraine has not wavered at all, even as the situation in the Middle East intensifies," Japan's foreign minister Yoko Kamikawa told a press conference. The G7 is due to hold an online meeting with Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Wednesday. Since the war erupted, the G7 has issued just one joint statement on the conflict, amounting to a few sentences. G7 foreign ministers are preparing "some sort of statement" to be issued following the Tokyo talks, Kamikawa said declining to comment on its contents.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Antony Blinken, Eugene Hoshiko, Yoko Kamikawa, Kamikawa, Dmytro Kuleba, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Minoru Kihara, Blinken, Sakura Murakami, Tim Kelly, John Geddie, Tom Hogue, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Japan's, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Ukraine, Kyiv, The, European Union, Russia, Ukraine's Foreign, Mitsui & Co, Health, Japanese, British, United Nations, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Russia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, United States, Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, U.S, Moscow, Hiroshima, May, ISRAEL, GAZA, Iran

Details of how Japan is paring back military procurement due to currency fluctuations have not been previously reported. China, which has not ruled out using military force to bring Taiwan under its control, has expressed concern about Japan's military spending plans, accusing it of displaying a "Cold War mentality." In December, defence ministry officials discussed an order for 34 twin-rotor Chinook transport helicopters at roughly 15 billion yen per aircraft, two of the sources said. She declined to comment on whether the defence ministry had dropped an order for the seaplane. A ministry spokesperson confirmed the companies delivered a letter on Oct 25 to Defence Minister Minoru Kihara urging the government to proceed with the defence procurement as planned.

Persons: Tomohiro, Fumio Kishida, Christopher Johnstone, Johnstone, Biden, Kishida, outlays, spender, Nancy Pelosi's, Yoji Koda, Lockheed Martin, Minoru Kihara, Kevin Maher, Nobuhiro Kubo, Takaya Yamaguchi, Tim Kelly, Yoshifumi Takemoto, Katerina Ang Organizations: Defense Force, East Fuji Maneuver, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Reuters, Bank of Japan, Center for Strategic, International Studies, National Security, East, Japan's Ministry of Defence, Embassy, Pentagon, Russian, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Boeing Co, Kawasaki, Industries, Maritime Self Defense Force, Raytheon, Lockheed, Japan Business Federation, NMV Consulting, U.S . State Department's Office, Japan Affairs, Thomson Locations: Japan, Gotemba, Shizuoka, Taiwan, Tokyo, Washington, Beijing, East Asia, U.S, East China, Ukraine, China, U.S .

☆ Japan's Kishida announces $113-bln package to combat inflation pain
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Yoshifumi Takemoto | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida poses during a photo session with his new cabinet members at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo, Japan, September 13, 2023. To fund part of the spending, the government will compile a supplementary budget for the current fiscal year of 13.1 trillion yen, Kishida told reporters. Reuters reported on Wednesday the government is considering spending over 17 trillion yen for the package, which will include temporary cuts to income and residential taxes as well as subsidies to curb gasoline and utility bills. The rising cost of living is partly blamed for pushing down Kishida's approval ratings, piling pressure on the prime minister to take steps to ease the pain on households. ($1 = 150.5100 yen)Reporting by Yoshifumi Takemoto, writing by Leika Kihara; Editing by Kim CoghillOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Fumio Kishida, Zhang Xiaoyu, Kishida, Yoshifumi Takemoto, Leika Kihara, Kim Coghill Organizations: REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, COVID

☆ Exclusive: BOJ plans to exit from easy policy next year but needs some good fortune
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Ueda's intentions are based on interviews with six sources familiar with the BOJ's thinking, including government officials with direct interaction with the bank. "Given uncertainty over the economic outlook, the BOJ probably wants to wait at least until spring next year in normalising policy," said another source. If the yen continues to fall, that could heighten political pressure on the BOJ to exit sooner than it wants, some analysts say. The risk of sharp yen falls and an inflation overshoot may leave the BOJ with less time than it wants to exit. "The BOJ doesn't have much time left, a point governor Ueda is probably mindful of."

Persons: Kazuo Ueda, Ueda, Kuroda, it's, Robert Samson, Ueda hasn't, Hiromi Yamaoka, Leika Kihara, Anisha, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Japan, Kyodo, REUTERS, Bank of Japan, Nikko Asset Management, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, BOJ, YCC, TOKYO, U.S, Bengaluru

☆ Asia's factories squeezed as China's nascent recovery teeters
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Purchasing managers' indexes (PMIs) for factory powerhouses China, Japan and South Korea showed activity shrinking while Vietnam and Malaysia also struggled with the broadening fallout from a Chinese slowdown. "Overall, manufacturers were not in high spirits in October," said Wang Zhe, an economist at Caixin Insight Group, on China's survey outcome. Japan's factory activity shrank for a fifth straight month in October, the final au Jibun Bank PMI showed. South Korea's factory activity fell for the 16th straight month while PMIs from Taiwan, Vietnam and Malaysia also showed continued declines in activity. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has warned that China's weak recovery and the risk of a more protracted property crisis could further dent Asia's economic prospects.

Persons: Stringer, Wang Zhe, Leika Kihara, Sam Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, PMI, P Global, Caixin Insight, Jibun, Murata Manufacturing, Monetary Fund, IMF, Thomson Locations: Zouping, Shandong province, China, Japan, South Korea, TOKYO, Vietnam, Malaysia, PMIs, Taiwan, Asia

☆ Japan on standby to deal with 'one-sided' yen moves - top FX diplomat
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( Takaya Yamaguchi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Issei Kato Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Japan's top currency diplomat Masato Kanda said on Wednesday authorities were on standby to respond to recent "one-sided, sharp" moves in the yen, escalating his warning to investors against pushing down the currency too much. "Speculative trading seems to be the biggest factor behind recent currency moves," Kanda, vice finance minister for international affairs, told reporters on the yen's declines. The situation surrounding yen moves has become "more tense" than before, he said, adding that authorities will "respond appropriately without ruling out any options". After sliding to 151.715 against the dollar overnight on Tuesday, the yen stood at 151.350 in Asia on Wednesday. It intervened again in October 2022 after the yen plunged to a 32-year low of 151.94.

Persons: Masato Kanda, Issei Kato, Kanda, Takaya Yamaguchi, Satoshi Sugiyama, Leika Kihara, Sam Holmes Organizations: Reuters, Finance Ministry, REUTERS, Rights, Bank of Japan, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, Asia

☆ BOJ modifies yield curve control, re-defines long-term rate cap
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

An office employee walks in front of the bank of Japan building in Tokyo, Japan, April 7, 2023. REUTERS/Androniki Christodoulou Acquire Licensing RightsTOKYO, Oct 31 (Reuters) - The Bank of Japan modified its bond yield control again on Tuesday by re-defining 1.0% as an "upper bound" with room for allowance, rather than a rigid cap. "The BOJ will regard the upper bound of 1.0% for the 10-yaer Japanese government bond (JGB) yield as a reference" and continue large-scale bond buying and nimble market operations, the central bank said in a statement. As widely expected, the BOJ maintained a 0.1% interest charged on financial institutions' excess reserves parked with the central bank, and a 0% target for the 10-year government bond yield set under its yield curve control (YCC) policy. Reporting by Leika Kihara and Tetsushi Kajimoto Editing by Chang-Ran KimOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Androniki, Leika Kihara, Chang, Ran Kim Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Bank of Japan, Thomson Locations: Japan, Tokyo

☆ BOJ likely to lift inflation forecasts, debate tweak to yield cap
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The BOJ sets a target of around 0% for the 10-year yield under YCC. Since then, rising global bond yields and persistent inflation have put the BOJ in a tight spot with the 10-year JGB yield threatening to breach the 1% cap. The 10-year bond yield rose to a fresh decade high of 0.955% on Tuesday. Sources told Reuters last week the BOJ could debate further tweaks to YCC at the Oct. 30-31 meeting to relax its grip on the 10-year yield. The BOJ is widely expected to maintain the 0% target for the 10-year yield and that for short-term rates at -0.1%.

Persons: BOJ, Ueda, Ataru Okumura, Kazuo Ueda, Leika Kihara, Sam Holmes Organizations: Bank of, Nikkei, Nikko Securities, Reuters, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Bank of Japan, Japan

The data reinforces expectations the Bank of Japan (BOJ) will revise up its inflation forecasts when it produces fresh quarterly projections at next week's policy meeting. The Tokyo core consumer price index (CPI), which excludes volatile fresh food but includes fuel costs, rose 2.7% in October from a year earlier, government data showed on Friday, exceeding market forecasts for a 2.5% gain. The so-called "core core" index that strips away both fresh food and fuel prices - closely watched by the BOJ as a gauge of broader price trends - rose 3.8% in October from a year earlier after a 3.9% increase in September, the data showed. "With services inflation continuing to accelerate, it will take a long time before inflation falls back below the BOJ's 2% target." The BOJ remains a global dovish outlier, having maintained ultra-loose policy even as major central banks elsewhere raised interest rates aggressively to fight rampant inflation.

Persons: Androniki, Marcel Thieliant, Takahiko Wada, Shri Navaratnam, Sam Holmes Organizations: REUTERS, Bank of Japan, Reuters Graphics, Capital Economics, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, TOKYO, Asia

A woman looks at items at a shop in Tokyo, Japan, March 24, 2023. The spending plan, to be formally decided by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's cabinet on Nov. 2, also features payouts to low-income households, the officials said, confirming a report by the Nikkei newspaper. Tax revenue has grown this year, and Murai said the prime minister wanted to find a way to return some of that to the public to support households. "The prime minister will give formal and specific instruction at a meeting tomorrow between officials of the government and the ruling bloc, which will shape up through the ruling party's tax panel debate," Murai said. Kishida is due to discuss wage hikes, among other issues, with auto industry officials when he visits the Japan Mobility Show on Thursday, Murai said.

Persons: Androniki, Fumio Kishida's, Hideki Murai, Murai, Kishida, Takaya Yamaguchi, Yoshifumi Takemoto, Leika Kihara, Shri Navaratnam, Sonali Paul Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Nikkei, Japan, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, COVID

☆ Rising yields may pressure BOJ to consider raising newly set cap
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The BOJ remains a global outlier having maintained ultra-loose monetary stimulus even as major central banks elsewhere rapidly raised interest rates to fight rampant inflation. Meanwhile, rising U.S. bond yields are pulling their Japanese counterparts higher, complicating the BOJ's task of keeping local interest rates low. Among ideas that could be discussed would be to raise the ceiling for the 10-year bond yield beyond 1.0%, or steps that water down the BOJ's commitment to defend a set yield level, the sources said. "If the 10-year JGB yield rises to around 0.9%, the BOJ may need to take action," such as by raising the 1% cap, she added. In a Reuters poll in September, most analysts said they expect the BOJ to abandon YCC by the end of 2024.

Persons: Issei Kato, BOJ, YCC, Kazuo Ueda, Naomi Muguruma, Mitsubishi UFJ, Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley, Ueda, Leika Kihara, Sam Holmes Organizations: Bank of Japan, REUTERS, Treasury, Nikkei, Mitsubishi, Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan, Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities, YCC, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, TOKYO

☆ Analysis: Middle East throws central banks yet more unknowns
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Mark John | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Now, to complicate matters for a professional caste which prides itself on being data-driven, the Middle East is throwing a new set of real but unquantifiable risks into their equations. Unless the picture changes dramatically in coming days, the European Central Bank, U.S. Federal Reserve, Bank of England and Bank of Japan are already expected to keep their policy rates on hold in meetings over the next two weeks. ECB rate-setter Yannis Stournaras, the governor of the Greek central bank, argued that Europe had broadly managed to absorb the effects of rising energy costs triggered by the Ukraine war and hoped it could do the same if further shocks emerged. For now, the conflict remains largely confined to Israel and Gaza, something S&P Global Market Intelligence said in a study this week was already "muddying the waters" for central banks. As the Fed's Powell put it: "Our institutional role at the Federal Reserve is to monitor these developments for their economic implications, which remain highly uncertain".

Persons: Jerome Powell, David Westin, Brendan McDermid, Powell, Huw Pill, Yannis Stournaras, Tetsuya Hiroshima, Fed's Powell, Dan Burns, Balazs Koranyi, Francesco Canepa, Maria Martinez, Leika, Kevin Yao, David Milliken, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: Federal, Anchor, Bloomberg, Street, Economic, of New, REUTERS, Bank of England, International Monetary Fund, European Central Bank, U.S, Federal Reserve, Bank of Japan, Fed, ECB, Reuters Graphics, Reuters, Tokai, Toyota Motor Corp, P Global Market Intelligence, Thomson Locations: of New York, New York City, U.S, Israel, Ukraine, Iran, Hormuz, Europe, United States, Japan, Gaza, Washington, Frankfurt, Berlin, Tokyo, Beijing, London

Summary Sept core consumer prices up 2.8% yr/yr vs f'cast +2.7%Core-core index up 4.2% yr/yr in Sept - govtData among factors to come under scrutiny at BOJ's Oct meetingTOKYO, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Japan's core inflation in September slowed below the 3% threshold for the first time in over a year but stayed above the central bank target, keeping alive expectations that policymakers will phase out ultra-easy monetary policy. "While inflation weakened in September, we think inflation will only fall below the BoJ's 2% target by the end of next year," said Marcel Thieliant, head of Asia-Pacific at Capital Economics. The nationwide core consumer price index (CPI), which excludes volatile fresh food costs, rose 2.8% in September from a year earlier - the first time it has slowed below 3% since August 2022, government data showed on Friday. All the same, the rate has tracked above the BOJ's 2% target for 18 straight months. Reporting by Takahiko Wada and Leika Kihara; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Shri NavaratnamOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Marcel Thieliant, Takahiko Wada, Leika, Muralikumar Anantharaman Organizations: Bank of Japan, Capital Economics, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Asia

☆ Japan's property market shows signs of overheating, central bank says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-20 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

In a heat map of economy sectors which are running hot, the ratio of investment by real estate firms to gross domestic product (GDP) turned "red", a signal that the property market was overheating, the central bank said. "The increase in real estate firms' investment has been accelerated by urban redevelopment projects by major real estate developers," it added. "In some limited commercial areas in central Tokyo, transactions in the higher price range have been increasing," it said, adding that developments in the real estate transaction market "continue to warrant close monitoring". Japanese banks could also face risks from the rising possibility of interest rates remaining high overseas, it added. But credit costs could rise abruptly, particularly for loans to Asia, if overseas interest rates stay higher for longer, it warned.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Banks, Leika Kihara, Kim Coghill, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: REUTERS, Bank of Japan, Bank, U.S . Federal Reserve, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, TOKYO, Asia

☆ BOJ to release quarterly report that may offer clues on wages
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-19 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

TOKYO, Oct 19 (Reuters) - The Bank of Japan will release a regional economic report on Thursday that may offer clues on whether companies across the country will raise wages next year, and help lay the groundwork for phasing out the central bank's massive monetary stimulus. The report, due at 2 p.m. (0500 GMT), will be closely scrutinised by the central bank's nine-member board at its Oct. 30 to 31 policy meeting, which will compile fresh quarterly growth and inflation projections. The report is drawing more attention than usual this time for possible early clues on whether wage hikes will continue next year and broaden out to smaller firms. That would be seen as a key condition for the BOJ to dial back its stimulus, analysts say. The key for policymakers, however, is whether companies keep hiking wages next year, including smaller firms and across regions.

Persons: Kazuo Ueda, Ueda, Rengo, Leika Kihara, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Bank of Japan, NHK, Reuters, Thomson Locations: TOKYO, Japan

☆ IMF warning on China puts 'Japanization' risk in spotlight
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"Under the Xi administration, China probably shifted its attention away from economics," he told Reuters. "What's fast emerging is the risk of China slipping into deflation, or the 'Japanization' of its economy," Bank of Japan (BOJ) board member Asahi Noguchi said on Thursday. In its World Economic Outlook, the IMF cut China's growth forecast for this year to 5.0% from 5.2% in April, and warned that its property sector crisis could deepen with global spillovers. To be sure, there are differences between what is happening in China and the experience of Japan. "Overall, we believe that China can avoid a prolonged period of sub-par growth with the right policies," Srinivasan said, when asked about the chance of "Japanization" in China.

Persons: Aly, Hiroshi Watanabe's, Hiroshi Watanabe, Japan's, Watanabe, Xi, Asahi Noguchi, Krishna Srinivasan, Srinivasan, doesn't, Leika Kihara, Tetsushi Kajimoto, Chizu Organizations: China Evergrande Group, REUTERS, Japan, Reuters, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Bank of Japan, Economic, Pacific Department, Thomson Locations: Danzhou, Hainan province, China, Japan, MARRAKECH, Morocco, Marrakech, Asia, Beijing, Tokyo

☆ Key takeaways from the IMF/World Bank meetings
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Global inflation is seen dropping from 6.9% this year to a still-high 5.8% next. Italian central bank governor Ignazio Visco said there was an impression markets were "reevaluating the term premium" as investors become more nervous about holding longer term debt. One debt restructuring deal emerged: Zambia finally agreed a debt rework memorandum of understanding with creditors including China and France. Sri Lanka said on Thursday it reached an agreement with the Export-Import Bank of China covering about $4.2 billion of debt, while talks with other official creditors are stalling. There was much talk ahead of Marrakech on revamping the IMF and World Bank to better reflect the emergence of economies like China and Brazil.

Persons: Ajay Banga, Mercy Tembon, Finance Serhiy Marchenko, Ceda Ogada, Kristalina Georgieva, Pierre, Olivier Gourinchas, Ignazio Visco, Joyce Chang, Vitor Gaspar, Mehmet Simsek, Murat Ulgen, Kate Donald, Ahmed El Jechtimi, Andrea Shalal, David Lawder, Leika Kihara, Elisa Martinuzzi, Rachel Savage, Jorgelina, Rosario, Balazs Koranyi, Mark John, Christina Fincher Organizations: Bank, Finance, International Monetary Fund, Emerging, Research, HSBC, Reuters, Export, Import Bank of, World Bank, Oxfam International's Washington DC Office, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, MARRAKECH, Morocco, Moroccan, Marrakech, Israel, Central, United States, China, Italy, Italian, Turkey, Kenya, Zambia, France, Sri Lanka, Import Bank of China, Brazil, U.S

☆ IMF sees recent yen falls as reflecting fundamentals
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-14 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Banknotes of Japanese yen are seen in this illustration picture taken September 23, 2022. "On the yen, our sense is that the exchange rate is driven pretty much by fundamentals. As long as interest rate differentials remain, the yen will continue to face pressure," Sanjaya Panth, deputy director of the IMF's Asia and Pacific Department, told reporters. Authorities in Japan are facing renewed pressure to combat a sustained depreciation in the yen , as investors bet on higher-for-longer U.S. interest rates while the Bank of Japan remains wedded to its super low interest rate policy. "I don't think any of the three considerations are existing right now," he said, when asked whether recent yen falls call for authorities to intervene in the currency market.

Persons: Florence Lo, Panth, Leika Kihara, Emelia Sithole, Mike Harrison Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Monetary Fund, Pacific Department, Authorities, Bank of Japan, IMF, Thomson Locations: Rights MARRAKECH, Morocco, Asia, Japan

China, whose economy is now three times the size it was in 2010, continued to push for more IMF shares. IMFC members agreed to add a third IMF Executive Board chair to represent African countries, a key sweetener for the U.S. "equi-proportional quota plan. Pan said China supported this move but it was a separate issue from the shareholding formula. It also called for the IMF's Executive Board to propose options for changes to the shareholding formula by June 2025. This would accelerate the next five-year review of quotas and meet IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva's call for a deadline on adjusting its shareholding to preserve its credibility.

Persons: Nadia Calvino, Kristalina Georgieva, Pan Gongsheng, Pan, Kristalina, Georgieva, David Lawder, Andrea Shalal, Sharon Singleton, Christina Fincher, Franklin Paul, Diane Craft Organizations: Monetary, Financial, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Monetary Fund, IMF, Fund, The U.S . Treasury, People's Bank of China, Beijing, IMF's, U.S . Treasury, United Arab, Thomson Locations: Marrakech, Morocco, MARRAKECH, U.S, China, CHINA, The U.S, India, Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, United Arab Emirates

☆ IMF says Asian economies under cosh as China's property woes bite
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

China's post-lockdown economic boost lost momentum earlier than expected, the IMF said. "On the downside, a more protracted real estate crisis and limited policy response in China would deepen the regional slowdown." A sudden tightening of global financial conditions could lead to capital outflows and weaken exchange rates in Asia, the blog added. "While Asia is still set to contribute about two-thirds of all global growth this year, it is important to note that growth is significantly lower than what was projected before the pandemic," the IMF said. The Bank of Japan (BOJ) had maintained a cap on the country's 10-year bond yield at around zero, to support a fragile economy.

Persons: Aly, Leika, John Stonestreet Organizations: China Evergrande Group, REUTERS, China, International Monetary Fund, IMF, Bank of Japan, Thomson Locations: Danzhou, Hainan province, China, Asia, MARRAKECH, Morroco, U.S, outflows, Marrakech, Japan

☆ Japan tells G20 it may need to act in FX market
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The remarks came as the yen renewed its declines against the dollar, and underscored Tokyo's resolve to keep markets on edge over the chance of exchange-rate intervention to prop up the Japanese currency. "I told the G20 meeting we need to be mindful of the risk that market volatility could heighten, including in the currency market, as monetary tightening continues globally," Suzuki told a news conference after attending a meeting of Group of 20 (G20) finance ministers and central bank governors. "I also said excess volatility in the currency market was undesirable, and that we may need to take appropriate action depending on developments," Suzuki said. The official said Tokyo stood ready to act in the currency market if market moves become too volatile. Japan last intervened in the currency market to prop up the yen in September and October last year.

Persons: Shunichi Suzuki, Susana Vera, Suzuki, Kazuo Ueda, Leika Kihara, Cynthia Osterman, David Gregorio, Marguerita Choy Organizations: International Monetary Fund, World Bank, REUTERS, Japanese Finance, . Federal Reserve, Bank of Japan, Group, Thomson Locations: Marrakech, Morocco, Tokyo, MARRAKECH, Japan

☆ Analysis: IMF warning on China puts 'Japanization' risk in spotlight
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Persons: Aly, Hiroshi Wanatabe, Watanabe, Xi, Asahi Noguchi, Krishna Srinivasan, Srinivasan, doesn't, Leika Kihara, Tetsushi Kajimoto, Chizu Organizations: China Evergrande Group, REUTERS, Japan, Reuters, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Bank of Japan, Economic, Pacific Department, Thomson Locations: Danzhou, Hainan province, China, Japan, MARRAKECH, Morocco, Marrakech, Asia, Beijing, Tokyo

☆ Japan firms to issue digital currency for clear energy transaction
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Edgar Su/File photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 12 (Reuters) - A group of Japanese firms will issue a digital currency by July 2024 for the transaction and settlement of clean energy certificates, cryptocurrency exchange DeCurret said on Thursday. GMO Aozora Net Bank will issue the yen-based digital currency, called "DCJPY", which will then be used by telecommunication firm Internet Initiative Japan (IIJ) for settlement of clean energy certificates, DeCurret said. Transaction of DCJPY will be made using a network launched by DeCurret which, unlike stablecoin, is backed by bank deposits through block-chain technology, DeCurret added. DeCurret has been spearheading the launch of a digital currency by anchoring discussions at a consortium of Japanese firms keen to tap the technology. The consortium, which includes megabanks Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc (8306.T), Mizuho Financial Group Inc (8411.T) and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc (8316.T), has been meeting regularly to study ways to build a common settlement infrastructure for digital payments.

Persons: Edgar Su, DeCurret, Leika Kihara, Krishna Chandra Organizations: REUTERS, Aozora, Internet Initiative Japan, Japan, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial, Inc, Mizuho Financial Group Inc, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan

Shmyhal told a high-level roundtable to support Ukraine held during the International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings in Marrakech, Morocco, that Ukraine's state budget deficit would be about 20% of the country's GDP this year and 21% in 2024. "We expect support from all our partners, both in equal amounts, Shmyhal said. He said the World Bank has been helping to assess recovery needs, adding that $14 billion alone would be needed for a rapid-recovery response program. Shmyhal said the key to the country's resilience has been economic reform programs, including those to fight corruption and boost digitalization. "If the right conditions are created, we estimate that as much as one-third of Ukraine's future needs could be met with private-sector financing," Banga said.

Persons: Denys Shmyhal, Shmyhal, Ajay Banga, Banga, Janet Yellen, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, David Lawder, Alex Richardson, Leslie Adler Organizations: Ukrainian, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Bank, U.S, Treasury, Ukraine, Thomson Locations: MARRAKECH, Morocco, Ukraine, Marrakech, Russia, U.S

☆ Japan likely won't intervene to reverse yen downtrend, ex-top currency diplomat says
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( Leika Kihara | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

There is no set rule or shared agreement among G7 advanced nations on what kind of currency moves are defined as "excess volatility" that justify intervention, Shinohara said. "But usually, when you talk about excess volatility you have in mind a timeframe of several days or weeks," rather than several months, he said in an interview on Friday. The remarks contrast with those of incumbent top currency diplomat Masato Kanda, who said on Wednesday that steady yen falls over a protracted period could also warrant intervention. G7 and G20 major economies have a shared understanding that currency moves ought to reflect economic fundamentals, and that excess volatility was undesirable. In Japan, the finance ministry has jurisdiction over currency policy and decides whether and when to intervene.

Persons: Kim Kyung, Naoyuki Shinohara, Shinohara, Masato Kanda, Leika Kihara, Kim Coghill Organizations: National Printing Bureau, Bank of Japan, REUTERS, Reuters, International Monetary Fund, Thomson Locations: Tokyo, Japan, TOKYO, Asia

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