Yen Drops, Japan's Stocks Rise as Takaichi Faces Ishiba in Vote.

The yen has weakened against the dollar and Japanese bond futures have risen as Sanae Takaichi and Shigeru Ishiba head to a run-off vote for the leadership of Japan's ruling party. This has led to speculation of political pressure on monetary policy and traders are betting on the election results. Takaichi, who could become Japan's first female prime minister if elected, has argued against raising rates and this has contributed to the depreciation of the yen. The yield on Japanese government notes has dropped as a result. [Extracted from the article]