TIBOR

Acronym for the "Tokyo Interbank Offered Rate." The Japanese Bankers Association (JBA) publishes the TIBOR every business day at 11:00am (Japan Standard Time).

There are two types of TIBOR rates – the European TIBOR rate and the Japanese Yen TIBOR rate. The European TIBOR rate is based on Japan offshore market rates. The Japan offshore market was created in 1986 to help internationalize the country’s financial markets. Yen traded in the offshore market is termed "euroyen." The Japanese Yen TIBOR rate is based on unsecured call market rates. The call market provides a place for financial institutions to lend to, or borrow from, other banks and lenders to either adjust an unexpected short-term surplus or make up an unexpected deficit.

The Ministry of Finance is the most powerful finance-related government agency in Japan. The ministry's responsibilities include all of those that are individually held by the U.S. Department of Treasury, the IRS, the Federal Reserve, the Department of Commerce and the Securities and Exchange Commission.