Institution: The Bank of Japan faces challenges in balancing inflation and economic rise.

CoinVoice has learned that analysts from the IG Group indicate that the Bank of Japan (BOJ) is facing the challenge of balancing ongoing inflationary pressures with slowing economic growth. The price of rice, a staple food for Japanese households, has doubled in the past year, highlighting the severity of inflationary pressures.

Since April 2022, the core inflation rate has remained at or above the Bank of Japan's target of 2%, which has put increasing pressure on interest rate hikes.

However, the economic growth has significantly deteriorated, with GDP contracting at an annualized rate of 0.2% in the first quarter. Moreover, due to rising inflation, real wages have fallen by 1.8% year-on-year, which may suppress consumer spending and further constrain economic growth. Although the Bank of Japan is likely to maintain interest rates at today's meeting, any hawkish guidance could provide significant support for the yen. Attention should be paid to the policy statement and comments from the press conference to look for hints about future tightening measures.