Japan’s 10-year government bond yield held around 1.7% on Friday, staying near its highest level since 2008 as investors weighed the political and monetary outlook after fiscal dove Sanae Takaichi won the leadership race to become the next prime minister. Takaichi said Thursday that the Bank of Japan would decide policy independently while working toward the government’s economic goals, adding that she would quickly implement measures to cushion the impact of rising living costs. Markets now assign less than a 50% chance of a BOJ rate hike in December, with expectations shifting to March next year. Meanwhile, data showed Japan’s producer prices rose more than expected in September, further complicating the policy outlook.