[Former Bank of Japan Official: Next Rate Hike May Occur Before December] Jin10 News, June 30 – Former Bank of Japan Executive Director Kenzo Yamamoto stated, 'The Bank of Japan is currently in a position where it needs to act swiftly.' When asked whether the central bank would raise rates again in December, as predicted by most economists in institutional surveys, Yamamoto said, 'Given the current level of monetary easing, the next rate hike is very likely to occur before then.' Yamamoto pointed out that the bank's underlying inflation indicator (excluding fresh food and special factors such as government subsidies) has averaged about 3% over the past four years, significantly higher than the central bank's 2% target. However, Japan's key inflation indicator—the core consumer price index, which excludes only fresh food—remained at 1.4% in May, primarily due to measures introduced by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to alleviate living cost pressures. The Bank of Japan recently stated that price trends remain slightly below 2%. 'If the Bank of Japan claims that its underlying inflation indicator fails to reflect price trends, I would be concerned,' Yamamoto said. 'The Bank of Japan needs to shift its policy focus toward curbing inflation.'