Overview
- Core consumer prices rose 3.0% year over year in October after 2.9% in September, matching market forecasts.
- The core-core gauge that excludes fresh food and energy advanced to 3.1%, indicating firm underlying pressures.
- The Bank of Japan will assess the data at its December 18–19 meeting as markets lean toward a possible near-term increase.
- Governor Kazuo Ueda highlights weak third‑quarter GDP and uncertainty from U.S. tariffs, emphasizing the need for wage-driven inflation.
- Two of the nine policy board members advocated lifting rates to 0.75% at recent meetings, and Ueda met new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi this week with no policy requests reported.