 Japanese Yen had a broad-based declined in Asian session today, while Nikkei extended its recent up trend, momentarily reaching a new record high, ending the 34-year wait. This milestone is of considerable psychological significance for Japan, symbolizing the end of over three decades of economic stagnation ensued after the burst of the country's stock and property bubble. The term "iron coffin lid" has often been used to describe the elusive barrier that is unreachable, making today's breakthrough a momentous occasion for Japanese investors and the broader economy. Despite recent weak PMI data and anticipation of BoJ rate hike later in the year, Japanese investors appear undeterred. BoJ Governor Kazuo Ueda continued his actively communicating with the markets, noting today that trend inflation is "heightening" and that service prices continue to "rise moderately", reassuring investors of the central bank's commitment to making "appropriate monetary policy decisions." The latest Reuters poll indicates that 83% of economists expect BoJ to end its negative interest rate policy in April, with 76% predicting the abandonment of yield curve control at the same meeting. | 
