Anna 
The USD/JPY pair climbed 0.6% to reach 156.58 in Asian trading, surpassing the 156 level to achieve new 34-year highs. This surge followed the Bank of Japan’s decision to maintain interest rates unchanged after a historic hike in March.
Despite forecasting higher inflation in the upcoming years, the central bank also projected weaker economic growth, casting doubts on its capacity to continue raising interest rates.
Additionally, softer-than-expected consumer price index (CPI) inflation data from Tokyo, released earlier on Friday, fueled skepticism regarding a hawkish stance from the Bank of Japan.
Meanwhile, the USD/CNY pair edged 0.1% higher to 7.2466, hovering near five-month highs.
In a separate development, the AUD/USD rose 0.5% to 0.6552, bolstered by robust Australian producer price index (PPI) inflation data. This, combined with a higher CPI reading earlier in the week, spurred expectations for sustained elevated rates in Australia.
