日美长期利差持续缩小，日元买盘仍未出现

Core Viewpoint - The relationship between the Japanese yen exchange rate and the Japan-U.S. interest rate differential has significantly changed over the past six months, shifting from "interest rate changes driving exchange rate changes" to "yen depreciation leading to rising interest rates" [2][7]. Group 1: Interest Rate Dynamics - As of January 6, Japan's long-term interest rate was 2.095%, while the U.S. long-term interest rate was 4.17%, resulting in a Japan-U.S. interest rate differential of 2.075%, which has narrowed by over 0.8 percentage points from approximately 2.9% six months ago [4]. - The actual interest rates, calculated by subtracting the breakeven inflation rate from the nominal yield, show Japan's rate at approximately 0.32% and the U.S. at about 1.9%, leading to a narrowing of the actual interest differential from around 2.1% to 1.58% over the past six months [4]. Group 2: Market Reactions and Expectations - Despite the narrowing interest rate differential, there has been a lack of increased demand for the yen, with the exchange rate hovering around 156 yen per dollar. This is attributed to concerns that the Bank of Japan may lag in raising interest rates, leading to simultaneous increases in domestic rates and yen depreciation [7]. - The depreciation of the yen has raised import prices, increasing domestic inflation expectations, which in turn has led the market to anticipate that the Bank of Japan will be forced to raise rates [7]. Group 3: Future Outlook - There is speculation about whether the previous relationship that supported yen appreciation and dollar depreciation will be restored. Analysts suggest that if concerns about the Bank of Japan's delayed response diminish and inflation stabilizes, the linkage between the yen exchange rate and the interest rate differential may re-emerge [8].