The Japanese yen depreciated past 155 per dollar on Wednesday, pulling back from one-month highs even as robust economic data reinforced expectations for a Bank of Japan interest rate hike this week. Exports rose 6.1% in November, surpassing forecasts of 4.8% and marking the strongest growth in nine months. Core machinery orders, a key leading indicator of capital expenditure over the next six to nine months, also jumped 7%, defying expectations of a 2.3% decline. The BOJ is widely expected to raise its policy rate by 25 basis points to 0.75% on Friday, with investors focusing on Governor Kazuo Ueda’s post-meeting comments for guidance on next year’s policy trajectory amid speculation that rates could reach 1% by July. Meanwhile, concerns over Japan’s worsening fiscal position, fueled by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s spending plan, continued to pressure the yen.