By Vivek Kumar The Bank of Japan (BOJ) has delivered a seismic announcement, slamming the brakes on its negative interest rate policy—a bold departure from its long-standing stimulus measures. This historic move marks Japan’s first interest rate hike since the distant echoes of 2007. The widely anticipated decision was made following substantial salary increases obtained by employees at several of Japan’s leading firms, marking the largest pay rise since 1991. This boosted BoJ Governor Kazuo Ueda’s confidence that inflation would remain at a moderate level. “The Bank of Japan ended ultra-loose…