Golden Finance reported that the Bank of Japan is widely expected to raise its benchmark interest rate to 0.5% on Friday. The 25 basis point rate hike will be the largest since February 2007, further showing signs that the Japanese economy is finally returning to normal. The two key points that Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda put forward last month when considering raising interest rates are largely clear. So far, the country's wage growth looks strong, while U.S. President Trump's second term In the first few days of , there were no major market shocks. People familiar with the matter said earlier that Bank of Japan officials believe it is very likely to raise interest rates on Friday unless Trump creates too many negative surprises. While Kazuo Ueda is unlikely to give any specific interest rate path to keep his options open, a statement that sounds too dovish could cause the yen to weaken and add to inflationary pressures. It may also put monetary authorities on high alert for the possible need to directly intervene in markets. (Golden Ten)