How to read the data: a BOJ policy meeting is disclosed in four stagesWhat was said at a Bank of Japan meeting is made public bit by bit
Even after the conclusion of a Bank of Japan Monetary Policy Meeting is announced on the day, the documents that explain the thinking behind it come out on later dates. For the meeting held on October 29 and 30, the decision and the basic views section of the Outlook for Economic Activity and Prices were released on October 30, and the content of the Governor's press conference and the full text of the Outlook Report were released on November 2. The Summary of Opinions is scheduled for Tuesday, November 10, and the Minutes for Wednesday, December 23. Here is what each document tells you.
- October 30The decision and the Outlook Report (basic views)
- November 2The Governor's press conference and the full Outlook Report
- Tuesday, November 10Summary of Opinions (scheduled)
- Wednesday, December 23Minutes (scheduled)
Key points
- The meeting concerned was held on October 29 and 30, 2026 (there are eight meetings in 2026)
- October 30: the decision and the basic views section of the Outlook Report were released
- November 2: the content of the Governor's press conference (held October 30 from 3:30 p.m. for about 75 minutes) and the full text of the Outlook Report, including background explanation, were released
- Tuesday, November 10: the Summary of Opinions is scheduled for release
- Wednesday, December 23: the Minutes are scheduled for release
What to do in practice
- Do not judge from the headlines on the day of the meeting alone; note the dates when the press conference, Summary of Opinions and Minutes come out, and read the reasoning
- When you want to know the basis for the projections, read the full text of the Outlook Report released a few days later, which contains the background explanation
The Bank of Japan holds a meeting eight times a year to decide how easy or hard it should be to borrow money, that is, the level of interest rates. The decision is announced on the day, but the reasoning behind it is released afterwards in several stages. For the meeting on October 29 and 30, the decision came on October 30, the content of the Governor's press conference on November 2, the members' opinions are due on November 10, and the record of the discussion on December 23.
- 1. DecisionWhat was decided is announced on the day of the meeting (October 30)
- 2. ConferenceWhat the Governor told reporters is released (November 2)
- 3. OpinionsThe members' main opinions are released (scheduled November 10)
- 4. RecordThe record of the discussion is released (scheduled December 23)
Points
- The decision comes out on the day of the meeting, but the explanation of the reasons comes later
- On November 2 the content of the Governor's press conference was released
- Members' opinions are due on November 10 and the record of the discussion on December 23
What the words mean
- Monetary Policy Meeting
- The meeting at which the Bank of Japan decides interest rates and similar matters
- Minutes
- A written record summarizing what was said in the discussion
- Bank of Japan (BOJ): Bank of Japan: Governor's press conference (released November 2, 2026; conference held October 30, 2026)
- Bank of Japan (BOJ): Bank of Japan: Outlook for Economic Activity and Prices (Outlook Report)
- Bank of Japan (BOJ): Bank of Japan: Monetary Policy Meeting dates, minutes and related releases
Economic news presents published statistics and outlooks. It is not investment solicitation or trading advice. Figures are as of publication and may be revised.
This article summarizes and explains materials published by government agencies and is not advice on any individual case. Rules can change, so for actual procedures and decisions always check the latest original materials and consult professionals such as tax accountants or labor and social security attorneys. English, Simplified Chinese and Traditional Chinese versions are translations prepared from the Japanese articles for convenience. If anything differs, the Japanese text and the original source take precedence.