On Wednesday, the yield on Japan's 10-year government bond remained steady at approximately 2.27%. This followed the release of the Bank of Japan's December meeting minutes, which revealed that the board is inclined to continue with interest rate hikes if economic and inflationary conditions align with their forecasts. In December, the central bank raised its policy rate to a 30-year high of 0.75% and subsequently kept rates unchanged in January while revising inflation forecasts upward. Concurrently, investors are dealing with escalating political uncertainty due to the onset of the lower house snap election campaign. The approval ratings for Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi have slightly declined, and her initiatives to consolidate power and increase spending have raised concerns regarding Japan's fiscal future.