"Japan Bond Market Turmoil Escalates Amid Rising Odds of U.S. Treasury Sell-Off"

2025-07-22 05:56
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"Japan Bond Market Turmoil Escalates Amid Rising Odds of U.S. Treasury Sell-Off"

출처: Block Media

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Japanese Government Bond Market Turmoil Sends Shockwaves Across U.S. Treasury Market

Japan’s government bond (JGB) market is currently under severe pressure, triggering ripple effects across the U.S. Treasury market, according to a Cryptopolitan report dated October 21.

Emerging data from CNBC reveals that volatility in the JGB market has more than doubled in the past five months, surging to an unprecedented level of 4.02%. Year-to-date, yields on the 30-year JGB have soared by around 75 basis points (1 basis point = 0.01%), reaching a yield of 3.08%. This is close to its highest rate since the bond's inception in 1999. Similarly, last week, the 10-year JGB yield briefly touched 1.60%, a peak not witnessed since the 2008 global financial crisis. Growing concerns over a potential credit rating downgrade add further uncertainty to Japan's economic outlook.

Record-High JGB Yields Signal Deep Stress in Japan’s Economy

The unprecedented spike in JGB yields is far from a trivial statistic—it underscores deep-rooted challenges within the world's third-largest bond market, which has historically been marked by stability. For the first time, the yields on 30-year JGBs crossed the 3.2% threshold, while 10-year yields exceeded 1.58%. This trend suggests not an economic revival, but rather declining confidence in the Japanese yen, persistently high energy costs, and waning faith in the Bank of Japan (BOJ).

Investors Rebel Against BOJ’s Yield Curve Control Strategy

The BOJ’s hallmark policy of yield curve control (YCC)—designed to manage long-term interest rates—appears to be unraveling under mounting pressure. Investors have opted to sidestep the wait for BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda’s next move, choosing instead to reassess risks independently and effectively steer the market’s trajectory themselves.

Japan faces a precarious balancing act. Efforts to stabilize bond yields might further weaken its currency, while measures to strengthen the yen could lead to a rapid surge in bond yields. Complicating matters, Japan’s public debt now exceeds a staggering 260% of its GDP—the highest among advanced economies—making the nation highly susceptible to rising interest rates. Currently, the yen trades at a historic low of approximately 150 per U.S. dollar, a 30-year nadir.

To mitigate escalating risks, the BOJ will likely resort to unofficial interventions, such as purchasing additional JGBs and injecting liquidity into financial markets to restore stability. However, market sentiment increasingly suggests diminished confidence in the BOJ’s ability to exert effective control, a development that could reverberate across the global economy.

Implications of Japan’s Potential Sale of U.S. Treasuries

As the largest foreign holder of U.S. Treasuries—with $1.13 trillion in holdings—Japan may consider reducing its U.S. bond portfolio. Japanese banks and pension funds, traditionally reliant on U.S. Treasuries for investment, are reassessing their strategies. Rising domestic interest rates combined with the yen’s steep depreciation present compelling incentives to repatriate capital.

This shifting dynamic poses significant risks for the U.S. economy. Reduced demand for U.S. Treasuries, particularly long-term bonds, could drive yields higher, leading to increased borrowing costs for the U.S. government. Moreover, diminished confidence in the U.S. Treasury market could disrupt the broader global financial system.

The situation is especially critical for the U.S., where surging debt and stubborn inflation are paired with an increasingly uncertain political landscape, fueled in part by speculation over Donald Trump’s possible return to power in 2024. The Japanese bond market serves as a cautionary tale of the consequences of eroding investor trust—a scenario the U.S. must heed. Additionally, the Federal Reserve faces growing constraints in leveraging bond purchases due to risks of inflation, a weakening dollar, and dwindling market confidence.

Global Markets Brace for Headwinds

The unfolding economic uncertainty in Japan and the U.S. carries profound implications for the global financial ecosystem. Market watchers, investors, and policymakers worldwide are closely monitoring these developments, bracing for the potential ripple effects that could destabilize international economies.


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