Kazuo Ueda — SPARQNOW

At-a-Glance

Serves as the 32nd Governor of the Bank of Japan (BOJ) since April 2023
Led the BOJ to end its zero-interest-rate policy and yield curve control in March 2024, the first rate hike in 17 years
Holds a PhD in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1980)
Is a Professor Emeritus at the University of Tokyo
Serves as an Ex-Officio Alternate Member of the Board of Governors for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) since 2022
Served as President of the Japanese Economic Association from April 2011 to June 2012
Author of several works on international macroeconomics and monetary policy, including 'Battling Zero Interest Rates'

Biography

Kazuo Ueda is the 32nd Governor of the Bank of Japan (BOJ), having assumed the role in April 2023. An economist by training, he was nominated by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and became an unexpected choice for the position. Under his leadership, the BOJ made a landmark decision on March 19, 2024, to end its zero-interest-rate policy and yield curve control, marking the first interest rate hike in 17 years and a significant shift for the long-stagnant Japanese economy.