The USD/JPY pair rose 0.85% to approach 156.90 during the European trading session on Friday. The pair rose as the Japanese Yen (JPY) weakened across the board, following the Bank of Japan (BoJ) monetary policy announcement.
Japanese yen price today
The table below shows how much the Japanese Yen (JPY) has changed against the major currencies listed today. The Japanese yen was the weakest against the US dollar.
| US dollars | euro | GBP | JPY | Canadian | Australian dollar | New Zealand dollar | Swiss franc | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US dollars | 0.10% | 0.04% | 0.82% | 0.07% | 0.08% | 0.42% | 0.18% | |
| euro | -0.10% | -0.06% | 0.72% | -0.03% | -0.03% | 0.32% | 0.08% | |
| GBP | -0.04% | 0.06% | 0.78% | 0.03% | 0.03% | 0.38% | 0.13% | |
| JPY | -0.82% | -0.72% | -0.78% | -0.72% | -0.73% | -0.40% | -0.63% | |
| Canadian | -0.07% | 0.03% | -0.03% | 0.72% | 0.00% | 0.33% | 0.10% | |
| Australian dollar | -0.08% | 0.03% | -0.03% | 0.73% | 0.00% | 0.35% | 0.09% | |
| New Zealand dollar | -0.42% | -0.32% | -0.38% | 0.40% | -0.33% | -0.35% | -0.24% | |
| Swiss franc | -0.18% | -0.08% | -0.13% | 0.63% | -0.10% | -0.09% | 0.24% |
The heat map shows the percentage changes in major currencies versus each other. The base currency is chosen from the left column, while the counter currency is chosen from the top row. For example, if you select the Japanese Yen from the left column and move along the horizontal line to the US Dollar, the percentage change displayed in the box will represent the Japanese Yen (base)/US Dollar (quote).
At the policy meeting, the Bank of Japan raised interest rates by 25 basis points to 0.75%, as expected, the highest level in three decades. The Bank of Japan was expected to do so as recent comments from officials, including Governor Kazuo Ueda, indicated they were confident inflation would remain sustainably close to the central bank’s 2% target.
The Japanese yen has come under intense pressure, even as the Bank of Japan keeps the door open for further interest rate hikes. “We will continue to raise interest rates if the economy and prices move in line with expectations, consistent with the improvement in the economy and prices,” the Bank of Japan Ueda said at the press conference.
The absence of signals regarding when and by how much the Bank of Japan will raise interest rates in 2026 appears to have weighed on the Japanese currency, keeping investors ambiguous about the monetary policy outlook. Uncertainty surrounding Japan’s economic outlook has also raised concerns about hopes for further policy tightening by the Bank of Japan in the near term. During European trading hours, Japanese Economy Minister Kiyoshi said: “I respect the Bank of Japan’s decision, but I have to be attentive to the economic outlook.”
Meanwhile, a stronger US dollar (USD) also strengthened the pair. At press time, the US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the value of the dollar against six major currencies, hit a new weekly high near 98.65.
The US dollar continues its upward trend as the Federal Reserve’s (Fed) dovish outlook for its January meeting remains lower, even as US inflation slows in November.
Economic indicator
The Bank of Japan’s interest rate decision
the Bank of Japan The Bank of Japan announces its interest rate decision after each of the bank’s eight scheduled annual meetings. In general, if the Bank of Japan is hawkish on the economy’s inflationary outlook and raises interest rates, it is bullish for the Japanese Yen (JPY). Likewise, if the Bank of Japan has a pessimistic view on the Japanese economy and keeps interest rates unchanged, or lowers them, this is usually a downtrend for the Japanese yen.
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Latest version:
Friday 19 December 2025 at 03:20
repetition:
irregular
actual:
0.75%
consensus:
0.75%
former:
0.5%
source:
Bank of Japan
