According to a CNBC survey, 18 of 19 economists expect the Bank of Japan to raise the base rate by 25 basis points this week to 0.5 percent, the highest level since 2008. Economists say public comments by Kazuo Ueda, governor of the Bank of Japan, and remarks by Ryozo Himi, deputy governor of the Bank of Japan, to business leaders last week suggest that the Bank of Japan intends to raise interest rates. (Kim Ten)