Japanese Shares Rise After BOJ Decision

2026-09-18 07:06 By Jam Kaimo Samonte 1 min. read

The Nikkei 225 Index advanced 1.38% to finish at 65,019 on Friday, extending its winning streak to three sessions after the Bank of Japan raised its policy rate by 25 basis points to 1.25% in a widely telegraphed move.

The decision was not unanimous, however, as board members Toichiro Asada and Ayano Sato opposed the increase, signaling some resistance to a more rapid pace of policy tightening.

Despite the dissent, Governor Kazuo Ueda said at the post-meeting press conference that the BOJ remains prepared to raise rates further and adjust the level of monetary easing as economic conditions evolve.

Meanwhile, official data showed Japan’s core inflation slowing to 1.7% in August from 1.8% in July, its first decline in four months.

Technology and AI-related shares led the gains, with Kioxia (9.4%), SoftBank Group (1.1%), Advantest (6%), Lasertec (8.7%), and Taiyo Yuden (4.2%) among the notable advancers.

Japanese markets will be closed from September 21 to 23 for national holidays.



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