[Japan's Real Wages Rise for Third Consecutive Month in March, Supporting BOJ Rate Hike] Data released by the Japanese government on Friday showed that real wages in March rose by 1% year-on-year, marking the third consecutive month of growth and providing further justification for the Bank of Japan (BOJ) to raise interest rates at its next policy meeting in June. The data highlights the steady momentum of wage growth in Japan, with spring labor-management negotiations achieving wage increases of over 5% for the third consecutive year. The BOJ will review its interest rate decision again on June 15-16, with the central bank viewing steady increases in wages and prices as prerequisites for further rate hikes. Surveys indicate that nearly two-thirds of economists expect the BOJ to raise its benchmark interest rate to 1.0% by the end of June. Real wages, adjusted for inflation and a key indicator of household purchasing power, showed a slight decline from the revised 2% increase in February but remained higher than the 0.7% increase in January. January also marked the first positive growth in real wages in 13 months. Japan's nominal average wages (total cash earnings) rose by 2.7% year-on-year in March to ¥317,254 (approximately $2,029.52), following a revised 3.4% surge in February.