Japan’s economic policy minister, Kiuchi, has firmly denied that the government is attempting to pressure the Bank of Japan to maintain low interest rates.
The comments come amid intensifying friction between Tokyo’s political leadership and the central bank over the pace of monetary normalization.
Kiuchi’s remarks serve as a direct rebuttal to growing market speculation that the Kishida administration is seeking to slow the BoJ’s trajectory toward higher borrowing costs.
While the government has publicly emphasized the need for supportive monetary conditions to bolster economic growth, Kiuchi insisted that the central bank’s independence remains intact and that no official directives are being issued to alter its policy path.
The denial arrives at a critical juncture for Japanese financial markets.
The BoJ has been gradually unwinding its ultra-loose monetary stance, a move that has triggered significant volatility in government bond yields and currency markets.