[Mitsui Sumitomo: Fed Rate Hikes May Pose New Tightening Pressure on BOJ] Jin10 News, June 18 – Mitsui Sumitomo Nikko Securities strategist Ataru Okumura stated that if inflation prompts the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates, it could increase tightening pressure on the Bank of Japan (BOJ). Okumura pointed out that the significant interest rate differential between the U.S. and Japan has been a core driver of the yen's weakness, and any new round of global monetary tightening could expose the BOJ's relatively slow pace of rate hikes. He said that while market concerns over Japanese government intervention in the foreign exchange market may prevent the USD/JPY from significantly breaking above the 160 level, investors remain skeptical about the sustained effectiveness of such interventions. As a result, the BOJ may be forced to slightly accelerate its pace of rate hikes.