According to CoinMeta, Tokyo's inflation data exceeded expectations, further increasing the likelihood of the Bank of Japan raising interest rates at its meeting on September 17-18. Core consumer prices rose by 1.8% year-on-year in August, approaching the Bank of Japan's target of 2%, and wholesale inflation accelerated to 7.2% in July. Analysts point out that cost pressures related to the Middle East are still affecting the price chain, which may lead to continued increases in consumer inflation in the coming months. The Bank of Japan may consider a more aggressive pace of interest rate hikes than in the past, and the current data provides support for policy tightening.