Archive · 28 Aug 2026
Japan Finance Minister, BOJ Governor Set for G20 Talks
Japan’s finance minister and central bank governor will attend an important G20 meeting next week.
The meeting will take place in Asheville, North Carolina.
Countries will talk about problems affecting the world economy, including the Middle East war and trade differences.
Japan’s yen has recently become weaker against the U.S. dollar.
Japan and the United States recently worked together to try to support the yen.
Investors are watching to see whether Japanese officials meet U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Bessent has encouraged Japan’s central bank to raise interest rates.
Markets think there is a strong chance that Japan will raise rates in September, but the central bank has not promised to do so.
Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama and Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda will attend next week’s G20 meeting in Asheville, North Carolina.
Officials are expected to discuss the global economic effects of the Middle East war, possible new sanctions against Iran, and global imbalances.
Markets are watching for meetings with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent after Japan-U.S. intervention to support the yen.
The yen has weakened toward 160 per dollar after briefly strengthening to 155.20 following the intervention announcement.
Markets now see an 80% to 90% chance of a Bank of Japan rate hike at its September meeting.
- Who
- Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama, Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda, and finance officials from G20 economies.
- What
- They will attend a G20 meeting focused on global economic issues, with possible discussions about the yen and Japanese interest rates.
- When
- Next week; the announcement was made on Friday, August 28.
- Where
- Asheville, North Carolina, United States.
- Why
- To discuss the global economic fallout from the Middle East war, possible sanctions against Iran, global imbalances, and policies related to the weak yen.
Rate-Hike Advocates
Cautious Policymakers
Japan’s interest-rate policy
Rate-Hike Advocates
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has encouraged the Bank of Japan to raise interest rates to help arrest the yen’s decline.
Cautious Policymakers
Bank of Japan officials have not committed to a rate increase, saying they will assess economic conditions and risks at the next policy meeting.
How to strengthen the yen
Rate-Hike Advocates
Higher interest rates and timely policy adjustments could help address the yen’s weakness.
Cautious Policymakers
Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama emphasized investment and stronger growth potential as ways to improve Japan’s competitiveness and the yen’s credibility.
- Meeting
- U.S.-hosted gathering of finance chiefs from the Group of 20 major economies.
- Japanese attendees
- Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama and Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda.
- Location
- Asheville, North Carolina.
- Yen exchange rate
- The yen stood at 159.60 per dollar on Friday.
- Recent yen movement
- The yen reached nearly 164 per dollar last month before rising to 155.20 after coordinated Japan-U.S. intervention.
- Rate-hike expectations
- Markets priced in an 80% to 90% chance of a Bank of Japan rate increase at its next meeting in September.
- Other agenda issues
- The Middle East war’s economic effects, possible new sanctions against Iran, and global imbalances.