According to Odaily Planet Daily, informed sources have revealed that officials at the Bank of Japan believe there is little need to change the gradual interest rate hike monetary policy stance after Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba faced setbacks in the Senate elections. Although officials will continue to closely monitor the trends in government fiscal policy, they still believe that if the economic outlook is realized as expected, it is appropriate to continue raising the benchmark interest rate. Informed sources say that the policy committee led by Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda is likely to maintain the 0.5% interest rate at next week's meeting. Given that Japan-US trade negotiations are still ongoing, officials hope to assess the impact of the agreement on inflation trends and economic prospects before further rate hikes. Informed sources indicated that while the election results will not currently change the Bank of Japan's policy path, some officials believe there is a need to be vigilant about the inflationary risks that may arise from significant fiscal easing. With soaring food prices, such as rice, pushing price increases beyond expectations, officials have noted that inflation risks are rising.