Abe’s Death Raises Doubts Over BOJ Policy Support as Yen Gains

Market analysts see more policy change scope than economists
Abe supported central bank’s ultra-loose monetary policy

Shinzo Abe in 2020.
Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg

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By Chikako Mogi, Aya Wagatsuma, and Toru Fujioka

July 8, 2022 at 3:25 AM UTC

Updated on

July 8, 2022 at 10:21 AM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

As traders absorb the tragic news of the death of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, they are also left facing a debate about how the loss of a strong advocate for the central bank’s super-easy monetary policy could affect markets in the days ahead.

The initial market reaction to the shock news earlier Friday that Abe had been shot was a rush to haven assets.