Sanae Takaichi drew criticism for requiring staff to work in the wee hours in a country scarred by “death from overwork.”

By Leika Kihara and Makiko Yamazaki TOKYO (Reuters) -Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said she "strongly hopes" the central bank achieves inflation driven by wages rather than primarily through rising food costs,

The first face-to-face meeting between Japan’s prime minister and the head of its central bank has cooled expectations that an interest-rate hike is coming soon, sending the yen to a nine-month low.

The yen dipped to a record low versus the euro and wallowed near a nine-month trough against the dollar on Thursday after Japan’s new prime minister said she wanted the central bank to go slow on interest rate hikes.

Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said the central bank is aiming for moderate inflation accompanied by wage rises and economic improvement, signalling that its goal aligns with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's focus on reviving growth.

Renowned Japan expert Sheila Smith discusses the country’s historic election of its first female prime minister, her politics, her likely policies, and their impact on women.