Bank of Japan Gov. Kazuo Ueda¡¯s policy path may include as many as four rate increases by 2027, with three more coming after a widely anticipated move next week, according to a former executive director of the central bank.

¡°They are probably thinking they have completely fallen behind the curve,¡± Hideo Hayakawa, the former official, said in an interview Wednesday. ¡°Ueda will probably indicate that it¡¯s not the end of the cycle even after raising the rate this time.¡±

Hayakawa was speaking as the central bank is broadly expected to raise borrowing costs to 0.75% on Dec. 19 in its first move since January. A primary market focus of the event will be how the bank characterizes the future policy path.