Former Bank of Japan member Makoto Sakurai: Weakness of the yen may prompt the central bank to raise interest rates in April

Former policy member of the Bank of Japan, Makoto Sakurai, stated that market concerns over Prime Minister Koizumi's fiscal policy have intensified, leading to continued weakness of the yen, and the Bank of Japan may raise interest rates as early as April. He believes that the Bank of Japan needs to raise interest rates at least once before June or July, but it may also be advanced to April. The current market generally expects the Bank of Japan to raise interest rates about once every six months, and if it raises interest rates in April, it will be earlier than market consensus. Sakurai Makoto also pointed out that if the Japanese yen continues to depreciate, the responsibility for maintaining the exchange rate will lie with the Ministry of Finance.