[Bank of Japan Appears More Hawkish on the Surface, but Dovish Opposition Votes May Double] According to a report by Jinse Finance, on June 30, the Bank of Japan appointed Ayano Sato, who is seen as a supporter of accommodative monetary policy, as the new Policy Board member. This appointment increases the likelihood of two opposing votes against future rate hike proposals. Although the nine-member committee as a whole still leans hawkish, this structural change could slow the pace of the Bank of Japan's policy tightening. The committee's most resolute hawkish members, Naoki Tamura and Hajime Takata, are set to step down in July next year, adding further uncertainty to the path of policy tightening. Sato is scheduled to hold a press conference on Tuesday at 5:00 PM Tokyo time (4:00 PM Beijing time), and the market will closely watch whether she aligns with Asada Tomoichiro in opposing further tightening measures. Her official policy debut will take place at the July 30-31 meeting, where the Bank of Japan is widely expected to keep interest rates unchanged. The market will weigh Sanae Takaichi's evident monetary prudence (linked to the financing costs of her government investment plans) against the Bank of Japan's established stance of continuing to tighten policy in response to price pressures driven by energy shocks.