[Former Senior Japanese Forex Diplomat: Yen Intervention Could Happen Again Anytime, Bank of Japan May Raise Rates in September] BlockBeats News, August 14, former senior Japanese forex diplomat and former IMF Deputy Managing Director Masahiro Kawai stated that, given the current exchange rate levels, the yen is clearly too weak and is harming the Japanese economy by driving up import costs. He noted that if the yen returns to the levels seen before last month's coordinated intervention, Japan and the U.S. could jointly intervene in the forex market again at any time, with actions not tied to specific levels like 160 or 162 yen. Kawai emphasized that intervention can only buy time, and the more fundamental solution is for the Bank of Japan to accelerate its rate hikes. He expects the Bank of Japan to raise rates in September, followed by another hike in December or January next year. He estimates that the Bank of Japan ultimately aims to raise rates to around 1.5% to 1.75%. This judgment is based on his estimate of the neutral rate, which ranges from 1.1% to 2.5%; if the economy maintains its growth momentum, further rate hikes could occur in the fiscal year starting April 2027. (Jin10)