Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi voiced concerns about raising interest rates to Bank of Japan's Governor Kazuo Ueda during their meeting on February 16, Mainichi Shimbun reported on Tuesday, citing multiple sources. Takaichi refused to disclose details of the meeting to the press. Nevertheless, the sources revealed that her "stance was stricter than in the previous meeting" in November. She is believed to have appointed experts who favor monetary easing to serve in the government's Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy. The outlet claims that the Bank seeks to continue with rate hikes, deeming them necessary ... (full story)