Japan’s 10-year government bond yield rose toward 2.7% on Monday, recovering from four-month lows as hawkish comments from Bank of Japan officials strengthened expectations for further monetary tightening. BOJ Chief Economist Seisaku Kameda indicated that the central bank is likely to raise interest rates in December and continue increasing borrowing costs next year, potentially bringing rates closer to 2%. BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda also noted that underlying inflation is expected to remain around the BOJ’s 2% target, while acknowledging “some upside risks.” Meanwhile, demand for safe-haven bonds weakened as global equity markets rebounded from the recent AI-driven selloff, which was fueled by concerns over tighter AI industry regulations following the Democrats’ decisive victory in the US midterm elections. Investors also expect Democrats to push for a swift resolution to the conflict with Iran, potentially weighing on oil prices and easing inflationary pressures.