Japan
BOJ's Yamaguchi to visit Washington to attend FSF
BOJ deputy governor Yutaka Yamaguchi will visit Washington from Mar 22, 2001 to attend a meeting of the Financial Stability Forum, the central bank said in a statement on Mar 21, 2001.
BoJ switches to target monetary base
As expected, the Bank of Japan has reinstated its zero interest rate policy, but it has done this by switching its operational target to expand the money supply.
Govt pressures BoJ to cut rates back to zero
NEWS - The Bank of Japan is under severe pressure from the Japanese government to cut interest rates back to zero at its monetary policy meeting on Monday 19 March.
BOJ Hayami says structural reform indispensable
Bank of Japan Governor Masaru Hayami said on Mar 15, 2001 that structural reform in the Japanese economic system and industry is needed to make monetary policy fully effective.
Academic to replace BOJ board 'hawk' Shinotsuka
A leading supporter of higher interest rates on the Policy Board of Japan's central bank is expected to be dropped when her term ends this month.
Settlement failures triple in Feb bond trading-BoJ
The Bank of Japan found 296 cases of settlement failure in Japanese government bond trading in February, the central bank said on Mar 14, 2001.
Effects of measurement error on the output gap-BoJ
RESEARCH PAPER - A new working paper "Effects of Measurement Error on the Output Gap in Japan" by Koichiro Kamada and Kazuto Masuda from the research department of the Bank of Japan discusses theoretically how measurement errors and quality changes in…
Thailand, Japan close to currency swap deal-paper
Thailand and Japan are close to concluding a bilateral currency swap agreement in the next few months as part of a regional arrangement to support Asian currencies in crisis, the Nation newspaper said on Mar 13, 2001.
BIS sets up Asia-Pacific consultative council
The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) said on Mar 12, 2001 it had set up an Asian Consultative Council comprising governors of its central bank members in the region.
Asian currency swap idea 'acceptable'-Manila c.bnk
The Philippines is basically happy with the concept of an Asian web of currency swaps aimed at fending off future financial crises and is forging ahead with discussions on terms, deputy central bank governor Amando Tetangco said on Mar 9, 2001.
No plan to drive yen lower, Hayami says
Bank of Japan Governor Masaru Hayami said on Mar 8, 2001 he was alert to the risk of a vicious deflationary cycle but firmly denied that he wanted to push the yen lower to induce inflation.
Yen crashes to 20-month lows against dollar
The yen fell beyond 120 to the dollar for the first time in 20 months on Mar 7, 2001 as expectation grew that Japan would tolerate a weaker yen to bolster its flagging economy.
Japan foreign reserves fall in Feb on weak euro
Japan's foreign reserves, the largest in the world, fell in Feb 2001 for the first time in six months, hit in part by a decline in the euro, a Finance Ministry (MOF) official said on Mar 7.
Contribution of IT to productivity growth-BoJ
Yoshihito Saito from the Bank of Japan International Department has written a paper "The Contribution of Information Technology to Productivity Growth-International Comparison". This paper examines the following: (1) the contribution of IT to labor…
BOJ minutes-board votes 8-1 to keep policy-Jan 19
The Bank of Japan policy board members voted 8-1 to keep monetary policy unchanged at their Jan. 19 meeting, but a majority of the members said risks posed to Japan's economy from developments in overseas economies and domestic and foreign capital…
Information technology and central banking-papers
Bank of Japan and EMEAP held a high-level workshop on development of information technology and central banking from October 2-3, 2000. As well as looking at the impact of IT on the economy as a whole, the executive director of the Bank of Japan,…
BOJ cuts rates on weak economy, deflation fears
The Bank of Japan surprised financial markets and pleased politicians on Feb 28, 2001 by cutting its key interest rates in response to a sudden turn for the worse in the world's second-largest economy.
BOJ says to launch new loan facility on March 16
The Bank of Japan (BOJ) said on Feb 28 it would launch its new standby Lombard-type lending facility on March 16.
Card-based payment systems in US and Japan-IMES
Ronald J. Mann, a visiting scholar at the Bank of Japan, has written a paper entitled "Card-based payment systems in the United States and Japan". He explains why credit and debit cards have so far proved unsuccessful in Japan compared to the US, and…
Technological Innovation and Banking Industry-BoJ
The Institute for Monetary and Economic Studies at the Bank of Japan has published a final report based on a forum the bank held in Dec 1997 on "Technological Innovation and Banking Industry/Monetary Policy". The report looks at the development of…
Hayami-inappropriate to raise outright JGB buys
Bank of Japan governor Masaru Hayami said on Feb 27, 2001 the central bank's current monetary policy already has some quantitative easing effects and that it is willing to continue this easy monetary policy.
Lessons from Japan's Experience in Monetary Policy
The chief representative of the Bank of Japan in Frankfurt says in a speech that the 1990s has been a period of learning for the central bank, not as many people say "a lost decade". The bank now has a greater focus on the role of asset prices and the…
Japan greets S&P cut with disdain and delight
Japan's loss of its top-notch credit rating caused indignation among politicians on Feb 23, 2001, but the central bank and financial markets welcomed it as a wake-up call for the government to mend its free-spending ways.
Central bankers discuss e-commerce at NY Fed
International central bankers on Feb 23, 2001 discussed how greater use of the Internet might affect monetary policy but said no definitive conclusions had been reached