Yen Craters to 4-Decade Low, JGB Yields at 3-Decade Highs: Monetary Policy Mess Comes Home to Roost

The yen has fallen to a four-decade low of ¥162.8 per US dollar, declining 37% since 2021 and 53% since 2012, while Japanese Government Bond yields have surged to three-decade highs, with the 30-year yield at approximately 3.96% and the 10-year yield at 2.70%. The Bank of Japan's decades-long ultra-loose monetary policy, combined with only modest recent rate increases to 1.0% and quantitative tightening that has reduced its balance sheet by 12.6%, are described as insufficient to stabilize the currency or address resulting import-driven inflation and rising government borrowing costs.