Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will attend a meeting with business leaders and labour unions on Wednesday afternoon, his office said on Tuesday, as the government sets wage hikes as one of the most important policy objectives to lift the economy.

Kishida earlier this month said he would prod companies to achieve wage hikes in 2024 that exceed levels seen this year, as financial markets closely watch pay growth data as a touchstone of Japanese inflation and monetary policy outlook.

Representatives of Japan's largest labour group Rengo and business lobby Keidanren are set to join Kishida at Wednesday's meeting, his office said. (Reporting by Kantaro Komiya; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)