Bank of Japan (BoJ)
Who will be the banker bet?
This article in the Financial Times looks at the current crop of top central bankers and asks who will secure their place in history as a trustworthy custodian of the economy? Timing is everything, and while Alan Greenspan would have been a "no contest"…
Bank of Japan keeps monetary policy steady
After buoyant economic data suggested that the Japanese economy's problems may be easing, the Bank of Japan decided to keep monetary policy unchanged at its Friday meeting, according to Associated Press.
BOJ to punish staff for faulty data-gathering
The Bank of Japan is to discipline officials who failed to correct errors in the calculation of data relating to unsecured debt instruments issued by companies to procure funds, according to East Day. The measures are designed to prevent public…
Extracting rate expectations, Japan's bond prices
Working Paper from the Bank of Japan's Financial Markets Department entitled "Extracting Market Expectations on the Duration of the Zero Interest Rate Policy from Japan's Bond Prices". The paper aims to extract the expectations of market participants on…
Bank of Japan plans to open office in China
The Bank of Japan plans to open an office in China, according to Bloomberg. In a statement the BoJ said "China is playing a growing role in the global economy and its ties with the Japanese economy are also becoming stronger".
Fukui on prospects for future of Japan's economy
In the speech 'Prospects for the Future of Japan's Economy' given on 23 July Toshihiko Fukui of the Bank of Japan said for Japan's economy to resolve the problems it faces and move forward, firms and individuals must become active in seeking new value…
BOJ's Muto cites side effects of JGB buying
In the text of a speech published on Friday 25 July, Bank of Japan deputy governor Toshiro Muto said "Buying of 1.2 trillion yen a month represents a significantly high pace", according to a Reuters report. He suggested the policy had had some negative…
BoJ's Fujiwara - Inside a Monetary Policy Meeting
In a speech on 'Inside a Monetary Policy Meeting' Sakuya Fujiwara of the Bank of Japan said transparency of the Bank of Japan's conduct of monetary policy has been enhanced by Monetary Policy Meetings. I attach special importance to increasing the…
Ueda on Japan's deflation and policy response
In a speech on 'Japan's Deflation and Policy Response' Kazuo Ueda of the Bank of Japan said the deflation of general prices has not been the major problem in Japan. Instead, asset price deflation and its interaction with the financial system and the…
BoJ willing to take risks to fight deflation
Giving a lecture in Tokyo on Wednesday 23 July, Bank of Japan governor Toshihiko Fukui signalled a willingness to fight Japan's economic slump made worse by deflation. Associated Press reports that Fukui said the BoJ "is willing to take unlimited risks…
Bank of Japan Monthly Report, July 2003
The Bank of Japan published its Monthly Report of Recent Economic and Financial Developments, July 2003, on 17 July. The Report said business fixed investment is on a gradual recovery and while it reiterated that economic activity remains "virtually flat…
BOJ's Fukui says stock gains outweigh bond losses
Toshihiko Fukui said the Bank of Japan has no plan to "step in" and manipulate bond yields. Speaking at a monthly press conference he said Japanese banks probably earn more from stock market gains than they lose from lower bond prices, Bloomberg reported.
Bo J's money market operation guideline unchanged
At the Monetary Policy Meeting held 15 July, the Bank of Japan decided, by unanimous vote, to set the following, unchanged, guideline for money market operations for the intermeeting period.
BOJ's Fukui affirms vow to keep rates near to zero
Bank of Japan Governor Toshihiko Fukui has said the BOJ will continue to keep interest rates close to zero until consumer prices become positive, Bloomberg reported. The comment comes after bond yields more than doubled since June 11 as hopes for an…
BOJ is watching bond yields 'closely' Suda says
Bank of Japan board member Miyako Suda said in a speech that the BoJ is closely watching the bond market but it will take time to assess the effect of asset prices on the economy, according to a report by Bloomberg.
BoJ Monetary Policy minutes, 19 and 20 May
Minutes of the Bank of Japan's Monetary Policy Meeting on 19 and 20 May 2003, released 30 June. With respect to domestic demand, corporate profits were recovering, and if exports and production resumed their upward trend, business fixed investment was…
Bank of Japan survey shows business sentiment up
The Bank of Japan's "tankan" survey released on Tuesday 1 July suggested that managers in Japan were becoming more optimistic, Associated Press reports, with large companies planning to boost capital expenditure by 4.9 percent this fiscal year.
BoJ's purchases of asset-backed securities
the Bank of Japan has decided to establish Principal Terms and Conditions for the outright purchases of asset-backed securities, 25 June.
Bank of Japan Monetary Policy Meeting
At its monetary policy meeting held on 25 June the Bank of Japan unanimously decided to maintain current guidelines.
BoJ's Muto on challenges facing Japan's economy
In a speech on 'Structural Changes in the World Economy and Challenges Facing Japan's Economy' Toshiro Muto of the Bank of Japan said as of now at least it is hard to say that we are sufficiently equipped, considering the several constraints surrounding…
BoJ Monetary Policy minutes, 30 April
Minutes of the Bank of Japan's Monetary Policy Meeting on 30 April 2003, released 16 June. The minutes showed at least two of the BoJ's nine policy board members favour the introduction of a "reference rate of inflation" to halt deflation.
Bank of Japan Monthly Report, June 2003
The Bank of Japan published its Monthly Report of Recent Economic and Financial Developments, June 2003, on 13 June. In the report the BOJ said public investment is projected to follow a declining trend, and private consumption is likely to remain weak…
Japan's support for inflation targeting grows
Minutes of the Bank of Japan's April meeting published on Monday 16 June showed that at least two of the BoJ's nine policy board members favour the introduction of a "reference rate of inflation" to halt deflation, according to a report in the Financial…
Bo J Monthly Report downgrades economy view
The Bank of Japan published its Monthly Report of Recent Economic and Financial Developments, May 2003, on 22 May. In the report the BOJ downgraded its view on the economy, citing "greater uncertainty" over the outlook. It said that overall conditions…