[Analyst: The Bank of Japan May Still Intend to Raise Interest Rates Further] Jin10 News, June 16 – Takashi Fujiwara, Chief Fund Manager at Resona Asset Management, stated that the Bank of Japan explicitly pointed out in its statement that medium- and short-term real interest rates are in negative territory. This could imply that the Bank of Japan does not wish for ultra-long-term bond yields to rise further. At the same time, this might also be a signal from the Bank of Japan: if medium- and short-term interest rates remain low, businesses can easily raise funds and potentially expand into higher-risk areas. The Bank of Japan discussed the economy and prices side by side in its statement. This could indicate that the Bank of Japan has the intention to raise interest rates further. Even if the opening of the Strait of Hormuz leads to a slowdown in price increases, the Bank of Japan could still use economic growth as a justification for further rate hikes.