Japan’s Digital Minister Taro Kono on Friday denied that he called on the Bank of Japan to raise interest rates to lift the yen in a recent media interview, arguing that he stated the obvious based on theory. Kono, a lawmaker from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party who is among public favorites to become prime minister, also said during a press conference that the central bank’s independence should be respected in guiding monetary policy. His remarks, reported Wednesday by Bloomberg, sent the yen rising sharply against the U.S. dollar, coupled with comments by U.S. presidential hopeful Donald…