Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said the timing of the next interest rate hike was "approaching" as the economy was moving in line with the central bank's forecasts, the Nikkei newspaper reported, leaving open the chance of a December rate increase.

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The next rate hike is “nearing in the sense that economic data are on track.” At the time of writing, the USD/JPY pair is trading around 150.26, up 0.42% on the day.

Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda revealed in an exclusive interview with Nikkei newspaper that the central bank will base whether to hike interest rates on critical economic indicators, particularly wage and inflation data.

The Bank of Japan’s interest payments on excessive reserves reached a record high, underscoring the costs of policy normalization after it put an end to more than a decade of massive monetary stimulus in March.

The Japanese yen rose to a six-week high against the dollar Friday. While trading was thin because of the Black Friday holiday in the U.S., the moves are still worth watching after volatility in the Asian currency sparked market turmoil earlier this year.

The yen surged to a six-week high following unexpected inflation increases in Tokyo, heightening speculation of a Bank of Japan interest rate hike. As the dollar weakens due to holiday-thinned trading and previous gains,

Japanese corporate borrowers are selling bonds at a faster pace as speculation grows the Bank of Japan may raise interest rates again next month.