Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda echoed recent comments that have revived market expectations for imminent policy action.

Japan's annual wholesale inflation held steady at 3.8% in December on stubbornly high food costs, data showed on Thursday, highlighting persistent price pressures that may prod the central bank to raise interest rates next week.

Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said Wednesday the bank will debate whether to raise its key rate at its policy meeting next week a

Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda strengthened speculation of a looming policy move by flagging the decision on whether to raise interest rates at next week’s meeting in a comment that strengthened the yen.

Speaking at a gathering of regional bank executives, Ueda said Japan’s central bank would raise interest rates if improvements in the economy and prices continue

Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda said at an event on Wednesday that the BOJ will raise rates next week if economic indicators show improvement. He added that he is aware of "many positive stories" of higher wages.

Governor Kazuo Ueda yesterday joined his deputy in raising market expectations of a potential interest rate hike next week, boosting the yen and signaling the central bank is doing its utmost to avoid a global market crash that followed the rate hike in July last year.

Ueda stated that the timing of interest rate hikes will largely depend on the economic policies of the new U.S. administration and the progress of this year’s wage negotiations in Japan. The yen's USD/JPY pair fell 0.4% on Wednesday, meaning the yen strengthened 0.4% against the U.S. dollar.

The Bank of Japan will debate whether to raise interest rates next week as prospects of sustained wage gains heighten and the U.S. policy outlook becomes clearer in President-elect Donald Trump's inaugural address,