Economic and Fiscal Policy Minister Minoru Jōnai (城内 実) flatly denied a report by Mainichi Shimbun. Regarding whether he had claimed that seeking to postpone a vote could stop a Bank of Japan rate hike, he denied the facts of the matter, while Mainichi Shimbun said it would refrain from commenting.
Mainichi Shimbun reported in its online edition dated 14 October 2026 that Minoru Jōnai (城内 実) had been considering seeking to postpone a vote to curb Bank of Japan rate hikes. The article said that Minoru Jōnai (城内 実) had made similar statements about Bank of Japan rate hikes since October 2025, and reported that similar statements had also been made before the monetary policy meeting in mid-June 2026.
At a press conference, Minoru Jōnai (城内 実) denied this, saying, "There is absolutely no such fact," and claimed that he had not been interviewed or asked to verify the facts. Certain points have also been reported in light of testimony from government officials regarding the concept and authority of the Bank of Japan's right to seek a postponement of a vote.
The report also refers to an article dated 17 October that conveyed a similar account through other media, including Nikkei. It contains additional claims based on testimony from multiple government officials. When J-CAST asked Mainichi Shimbun for its view, the newspaper's public relations representative said by phone that it would refrain from commenting.