• The USD/JPY forecast tilts to the downside as BoJ-Fed divergence favors yen.
• Risk-off sentiment strengthens yen but limits gains amid dollar’s own haven appeal.
• Today’s US ADP jobs report is crucial to watch, along with the US ISM PMI and JOLTS data.

The USD/JPY remains under mild pressure as the Japanese yen continues to find support from changing policy expectations and a weaker US dollar backdrop. Momentum has obviously slowed, indicating growing uncertainty over the next directional move, even though the pair is still trading at high levels around the mid-156 area. The market is increasingly focused on the widening policy divergence between the Bank of Japan, which is cautiously tightening, and the Federal Reserve, which is edging closer to an easing cycle.

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The yen’s recent resilience is largely driven by the growing acceptance that the BoJ’s long-awaited normalization process is not a one-off move. Governor Kazuo Ueda’s most recent remarks reaffirmed the likelihood of further interest rate hikes if inflation remains elevated. Rising wages, persistent pressure on service sector prices, and tighter labor conditions strengthen the argument for gradual tightening. This change has already caused yields on Japanese government bonds to reach multi-decade highs, reducing one of the main causes of yen weakness and closing the yield gap with the US.

At the same time, investors remain cautious about pushing the yen too aggressively higher. Uncertainty around Japan’s fiscal outlook, highlighted by the approval of a record budget, and questions over the exact timing and pace of future BoJ hikes continue to temper bullish conviction. As a result, USD/JPY has avoided a sharp sell-off and instead is grinding lower in a controlled manner.

Geopolitical risks add another level of complexity. The demand for safe havens has been boosted by growing tensions associated with Venezuela and other global flashpoints. However, the dollar’s inflows during periods of high US yields have lessened the yen’s influence. Even so, upside movements are still constrained, especially in the upper 150s, by the possibility of verbal intervention from Japanese authorities.

On the US side, the dollar is struggling to find sustained support. Markets are increasingly pricing in further Federal Reserve rate cuts later this year, with policymakers stressing the need to stay data-dependent as inflation cools and labour market conditions soften. This week’s run of US data, including ADP employment figures, ISM Services PMI, and JOLTS, may influence short-term moves, but the main event remains Friday’s Nonfarm Payrolls report. A weaker-than-expected jobs reading would likely reinforce expectations of a dovish Fed and put renewed downside pressure on USD/JPY.

USD/JPY Technical Forecast: Consolidating Near Key MAs

The USD/JPY 4-hour chart shows consolidation between 20- and 50-period MAs, while the confluence of 100- and 200-period MAs supports the pair’s upside bias. The RSI also remains flat under the 50.0 level, suggesting no clear bias in the short term.

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A break above the 20-period MA at 156.60 could trigger a bullish breakout and look to test 157.30 ahead of 157.75. On the other hand, moving below the 200-period MA at 156.10 could prompt the pair to test the 155.55 support level ahead of 155.00.

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