Japan
Japan hits out at ratings downgrade
JAPAN - As Japan braced for a possible two notch downgrade to its sovereign credit rating next week, the Ministry of Finance stepped up its war of words with the world's leading rating agencies by restating its belief that they are misguided.
Minutes of Japan's Monetary Policy Meeting
MINUTES - Bank of Japan Monetary Policy Meeting Minutes from the meeting of 10 and 11 April, released 24 May.
Bank of Japan acts to halt yen rise
JAPAN - The Bank of Japan was ordered by the Ministry of Finance to intervene to weaken the yen for the second consecutive day yesterday as part of the government's drive to ensure that the country's fledgling economic recovery is given a chance to get…
BoJ Monthly Report May 2002 - Full Version
REPORT - Full English translation of the Monthly Report of Recent Economic and Financial Developments from the Bank of Japan, May 2002, released 23 May. It says: "The pace of deterioration in Japan's economy has moderated, with production starting to…
BoJ may intervene again as yen continues to rise
JAPAN - The yen drifted higher in Asian trading Thursday, one day after the Bank of Japan intervened in the currency markets to stem the yen's surge. The central bank warns that it may step into the markets again to keep the yen from gaining too much…
Bank of Japan Monthly Report May 2002
REPORT - Monthly Report of Recent Economic and Financial Developments from the Bank of Japan, May 2002, released 22 May.
Latent recovery fails to move Bank of Japan
JAPAN - The Bank of Japan announced a decision to leave monetary policy unchanged after a two-day Policy Board meeting which ended on Tuesday.
Bank of Japan Monetary Policy Meeting
PRESS RELEASE - At the Monetary Policy Meeting held today, 21 May, the Bank of Japan decided, by unanimous vote, to maintain the following guideline for money market operations for the intermeeting period:
Bank of Japan Discussion Paper Series
RESEARCH - Institute for Monetary and Economic Studies, Bank of Japan, 'Do Currency Regimes Matter in the 21st Century?' An Overview by Hiroshi Fujiki and Akira Otani, May 2002.
Bank of Japan Discussion Paper Series
RESEARCH - Institute for Monetary and Economic Studies, Bank of Japan, Pricing-to-Market (PTM) and the International Transmission Effect of Monetary Policy: The 'New Open-Economy Macroeconomics' Approach by Akira Otani, May 2002.
Latent recovery fails to move Bank of Japan
JAPAN - The Bank of Japan announced a decision to leave monetary policy unchanged after a two-day Policy Board meeting which ended on Tuesday.
BOJ expected to keep same policy
JAPAN - Japan's economy may be showing signs of emerging from its worst postwar downturn, but analysts expect the Bank of Japan to be alert to risks the U.S. upturn may lose momentum and send Japan deeper into recession.
Inflation target would have little effect-BOJ Ueda
JAPAN - A member of the Bank of Japan's Policy Board said on Wednesday an inflation-targeting policy would have little effect when the central bank has insufficient policy tools to convince markets such goals could be achieved.
BoJ's Ueda advises higher govt spending in Japan
JAPAN - Bank of Japan policy board member Kazuo Ueda said that a small rise in government spending may stimulate the economy without significantly affecting long-term interest rates and that the bank should aim for 1-2% inflation.
Minutes of Japan's Monetary Policy Meeting
MINUTES - Bank of Japan Monetary Policy Meeting Minutes from the meeting of 19 and 20 March, released 7 May.
Leading credit ratings agencies under fire
JAPAN - Japan's Ministry of Finance has taken aim at the world's leading credit ratings agencies - Moody's, Standard & Poor's and Fitch - in a strongly worded letter that accuses them of lacking objectivity and calls into question the reliability of…
Bank of Japan Press Release
PRESS RELEASE - Monetary Policy Meeting, 30 April.
Outlook and Risk Assessment, Economy and Prices
REPORT - Outlook and Risk Assessment of the Economy and Prices, April 2002 as determined by the Policy Board at the Monetary Policy Meeting held on 30 April 2002 by the Bank of Japan.
Speech by Kazuo Ueda of the Bank of Japan, 24 Apr
SPEECH - In a speech titled 'Structural Problems and the Effectiveness of Monetary Policy' Ueda said that Japan was still suffering from mild deflation, and that domestic economic activity remained dormant. "Domestic demand remains weak in contrast to…
IMF official-Japan ought to adopt inflation target
JAPAN - The Bank of Japan needs to adopt an inflation target to stop price falls within 12-18 months, an International Monetary Fund official said Tuesday.
Hayami - 'Stupid' to ask me if about to resign
JAPAN - Bank of Japan Governor Masaru Hayami shot down speculation that he might resign before his five year term ends next March.
Russia issues world cup commemorative coins
RUSSIA - The Central Bank 5 May will introduce commemorative gold and silver coins in denominations of 3 and 50 rubles to commemorate this summer's World Cup football (soccer) finals in Japan and South Korea.
Institute for Monetary and Economic Studies
RESEARCH - Research papers from the Bank of Japan, Institute for Monetary and Economic Studies (2002), released 18 April.
Japan lawmaker says BOJ chief not worth his salt
FEATURE - Is a central bank governor who has been unable to halt a three-year decline in prices or prevent the longest recession in decades worth his salt - particularly when his paycheck is 38.43 million yen ($293,000) a year?