TOKYO, Dec 13 (Reuters) - Japan's mid-to-long-term

government bond yields fell on Friday as the market saw it as

less likely that the Bank of Japan (BOJ) will raise interest

rates at its policy meeting next week.

The two-year JGB yield fell 1 basis point (bp)

to 0.565%. The five-year yield fell 2 bps to

0.69%.

"Bets for the BOJ's rate hike have been receding, while the

BOJ's bond-buying operation also supported the sentiment," said

Miki Den, senior Japan rate strategist at SMBC Nikko Securities.

The BOJ is leaning toward keeping interest rates steady as

policymakers prefer to spend more time scrutinising overseas

risks and clues on next year's wage outlook, Reuters reported on

Thursday. This followed a Bloomberg News report on Wednesday

that the BOJ sees "little cost" in waiting to hike rates.

Swap rates indicated a 22.86% chance of the BOJ raising

rates by 25 bps to 0.5% this month, and a 65.5% probability of

that move at its January meeting.

The BOJ earlier in the session offered to buy bonds with

maturities from one to 25 years under its regular bond-buying

operations.

Yields on bonds with super-long maturities rose, rebounding

from declines earlier in the week.

The 20-year JGB yield climbed 1 basis point

to 1.855% and the 30-year JGB yield rose 1.5 bps

to 2.25%.