BOJ Chief Absent from Jackson Hole, Focus Shifts to G20

Japan's central bank chief Kazuo Ueda will not attend the annual Federal Reserve gathering in Jackson Hole, Wyoming this week due to scheduling conflicts. Bank of Japan (BOJ) board member Naoki Tamura will represent him instead.

Tamura is seen as a hawk on the nine-member BOJ board and has called for raising interest rates once every few months to counter upside risks to prices.

Ueda's absence at Jackson Hole puts the spotlight on his possible appearance at next week's US-hosted G20 finance leaders' gathering in Asheville, North Carolina, where he may provide clues about the BOJ's monetary policy.

Market participants are looking for hints from BOJ policymakers about whether the central bank could speed up its pace and timing of rate hikes to cope with mounting inflationary risks.