On October 13, sources revealed that officials at the Bank of Japan are inclined not to implement a rare consecutive rate hike this month, while still keeping the possibility of raising rates as early as December open. With no signs indicating a sudden increase in inflationary risks, Bank of Japan officials believe there is no need for consecutive rate hikes. The central bank will carefully assess economic data to evaluate whether a new round of rate hikes can be initiated at the December meeting. Sources also indicated that the final policy decision for the meeting on October 30 remains uncertain until the last moment. To manage inflationary risks, Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda's policy committee raised the interest rate to 1.25% last month. This followed pressure from U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Pelley, who urged Japan to continue normalizing its policies to support a stronger yen.