Japan
Japan's Koizumi says rapid dollar fall unwelcome
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said on Thursday 9 December at a press conference that he does not welcome a rapid fall in the US dollar but is also against resorting too much to market intervention.
Tanenaka says view of Japan's economy not changed
After the Japanese government revised the country's third-quarter gross domestic product, Economic and Fiscal Policy Minister Heizo Takenaka said Japan hasn't changed its view that the economy is recovering.
BOJ's Iwata sees strong business investment in 05
Kazumasa Iwata, one of the Bank of Japan's two deputy governors, told a conference in Sydney that business investment in Japan was strong and will increase next year.
Iwata on the euro from a Japanese perspective
In a speech on 'The euro from the Japanese perspective' given on 19 November, Kazumasa Iwata of the Bank of Japan said the case of the euro serves as a good model of a combination of both market selection and political will. On the other hand, in Asia,…
Mizuno says zero-rate policy beating deflation
New Bank of Japan policy maker Atsushi Mizuno said on Friday 3 December that the BOJ's zero-rate policy is overcoming deflation and the bank must look at potential side effects of maintaining its stance.
Japan's lower house approves new BOJ board member
Japan's lower house of parliament has approved the nomination of Atsushi Mizuno, chief strategist at Credit Suisse First Boston Securities (Japan) Ltd., as a Bank of Japan policy maker.
'Serial crime' wave hits Bank of Japan
The Bank of Japan has reprimanded five employees at its Maebashi branch office for swapping 11 old banknotes for 11 newly designed banknotes with sought-after serial numbers, such as E888888M.
Fukui on the state of Japan's economy
In a statement concerning the Bank's Semiannual Report on Currency and Monetary Control given on 28 October (published 26 Nov) Toshihiko Fukui of the Bank of Japan said Japan's economy is expected to continue recovering with the ongoing expansion of…
BoJ monetary policy meeting minutes12/13 October
The Bank of Japan released the minutes from its 12 and 13 October Monetary Policy meeting on 24 November. The minutes indicated that one member urged the central bank to get prepared to shift from the present monetary policy framework of quantitative…
Japan's deflation may not end in 2005 says Haru
Bank of Japan policy maker Hidehiko Haru said on Thursday 25 November that Japan's deflation may not end in the fiscal year that starts April 1, 2005, possibly forcing the Bank of Japan to maintain its zero-rate policy the following year and beyond.
Bank of Japan Monthly Report, November 2004
The Bank of Japan released the English version of its November 2004 monthly report on 22 November. In the report the BOJ downgraded its assessment of exports and production in its report but maintained its overall view that the country's economy was on…
Fukui says stronger yen may hold back recovery
Bank of Japan governor Toshihiko Fukui warned that the yen's recent surge against the dollar could hold back the nation's economic recovery.
Fukui confident on China slowdown
Toshihiko Fukui, Governor of Bank of Japan expressed confidence about the prospects of both a soft landing of China's economy and the fast growth of the US economy.
Fukui on the Euro-Dollar regime and the Yen
In the speech 'The Euro-Dollar Regime and the Role of the Yen: Their Impact on Asia' given on 12 November, Toshihiko Fukui of the Bank of Japan said a common currency in Asia similar to the euro in Europe is possible within five decades.
EU, ECB hail Japan's progress on bad loans
The European Union and the European Central Bank on Thursday 11 November celebrated the progress made by Japan's banking sector in reducing its bad loans, which have conspired to keep Japan in an economic downturn following the early 1990s asset price…
Fukui unsure when BoJ can change monetary policy
Governor of the Bank of Japan Toshihiko Fukui said that although the Japanese economy continues to recover, various factors cloud the outlook as to when Japan may emerge from deflation and allow the BoJ to abandon its current ultra-easy monetary policy.
Japan's Fukui watching forex market
Bank of Japan Governor Toshihiko Fukui said on Sunday 7 November that the Bank of Japan was watching currency markets warily after the dollar fell last week but did not think Washington was trying to guide the dollar lower.
ECB, BOJ officials to join bilateral meeting
Officials from the European Central Bank and Bank of Japan will for the first time participate in the annual vice ministerial meeting in Tokyo on 11 Nov. to discuss foreign exchange developments and China's dollar-pegged currency system, EU sources said…
BoJ Outlook: Economic Activity & Prices, Oct 2004
The Bank of Japan published its October 2004 Outlook for Economic Activity and Prices report on 1 November. The report says that core consumer inflation should "increase slightly" in the year to March 2006 but warned oil prices and other uncertainties…
Tanigaki: govt. must consider BoJ's deflation view
Japanese Finance Minister Sadakazu Tanigaki said on Tuesday 2 November that the government will need to consider the Bank of Japan's outlook for an end to deflation in 2005 when formulating future economic policies.
BoJ to take time on ending ultra-loose policy
Bank of Japan Governor Toshihiko Fukui said on Tuesday 2 November that the central bank will take its time in determining the time to abandon the current ultra-loose monetary policy.
Fukuma on recent economic developments in Japan
In a speech on 'Recent economic and financial developments in Japan' given on 30 September Toshikatsu Fukuma of the Bank of Japan said growth in Japan this fiscal year will exceed the central bank's 3.1 percent forecast as the Japanese economy heads…
Japan's Koizumi says steady recovery desirable
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said on Monday 1 November that he wants Japan's economy to recover "at a steady pace" as the central bank released redesigned and more secure banknotes for the first time in 20 years.
BOJ maintains policy, sees slight inflation
The Bank of Japan kept its ultra-loose monetary policy on Friday 29 October to support the economy and forecast there could be a slight rise in inflation next year, although that would not necessarily mean a change in its stance on interest rates, it…