Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index rose 1.19% to another fresh record high for a second consecutive day , ahead of the Bank of Japan's rate decision.

The central bank is slated to conclude its two-day policy meeting, where it is widely expected to keep policy rates steady at 0.5%, according to Reuters poll of economists.

In a Sept. 12 note, HSBC analysts also agreed with the consensus, and forecasted that the BOJ will raise rates by 25 basis points at its October meeting.

Japan's core inflation rate fell to its lowest since November 2024, coming in at 2.7% for August and marking a third straight month of decline, according to government data .

The core inflation figure — which strips out prices of fresh food — was in line with the 2.7% expected by economists polled by Reu

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