Overview
- The Bank of Japan did not appear among signatories to a rare joint declaration supporting Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell after the Trump administration threatened him with a criminal indictment.
- Leaders of the European Central Bank, Bank of England, Bank of Canada, and the central banks of Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, Australia, South Korea, Brazil, and France endorsed the statement.
- Japan’s government declined to comment on the BOJ’s absence, with Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara stressing that monetary policy requires close coordination with the government under Japanese law.
- Two government sources said the BOJ informally consulted Tokyo about signing but officials could not give approval in time for the release.
- Analysts said the decision tracks BOJ protocol and likely reflects sensitivity over U.S. relations and election timing under Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.