Japan
Japan's credit rating lowest among G-7 nations
US - Japan's credit ratings were cut to "AA-" by Standard & Poor's, the third reduction in 14 months for the world's second-biggest economy.
BOJ voted 8-1 to maintain target on 28 Feb
JAPAN - The Bank of Japan's Policy Board, at its 28 February meeting, voted 8-1 to maintain the target for financial institutions' current account deposits at the central bank at 10 trillion to 15 trillion yen, the BOJ said Tuesday.
Bank of Japan Monthly Report April 2002
REPORT - Monthly Report of Recent Economic and Financial Developments, April 2002. The English translation of the full text will be available on 15 April.
Bank of Japan Monetary Policy Meetings, 11 April
NEWS RELEASE - At the Monetary Policy Meeting held today, the Bank of Japan decided, by unanimous vote, to maintain the following guideline for money market operations for the intermeeting period:
Japan cautioned by IMF on deflation fight
JAPAN - The International Monetary Fund Tuesday cautioned the Japanese Government not to slacken its efforts to combat deflation and structural problems, warning that additional steps were necessary to combat serious weaknesses in the world's second…
New BOJ policy members tread conventional lines
JAPAN - The Bank of Japan's newly appointed board members adopted a conventional line on monetary policy in their debut public appearance on Friday, in stark contrast to a maverick pro-easing member whom they replaced.
Agency under attack over bad debts in Japan
JAPAN - Japan has been too slow to clear up the bad debt problem plaguing its banking sector, Masajuro Shiokawa, finance minister, has said.
Japan prices to keep falling gradually - Hayami
JAPAN - Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Masaru Hayami said on Thursday he expected prices to continue to fall gradually as the economy deteriorated further although pressure from weak exports and excess inventories was easing.
Japan Lower House approves new BOJ board members
JAPAN - Japan's powerful Lower House of parliament on Thursday approved the appointment of two businessmen to the Bank of Japan's (BOJ) policy-setting board, to replace members whose terms expired at the end of March.
BOJ to cut retirement money for its directors
JAPAN - The Bank of Japan (BOJ) said Friday it will cut retirement allowances for all its directors in line with the government's recent decision on pay cuts for executives of public corporations.
Hayami - Financial system conditions remain severe
JAPAN - The condition of the Japanese financial system remains severe and the Bank of Japan will do its utmost to ensure financial stability, BOJ governor Masaru Hayami said Tuesday.
Bank of Japan Tankan Report
REPORT - Bank of Japan Tankan Report, published 2 April 2002.
Japan's tankan survey shows economy nearing upturn
JAPAN - Corporate confidence in Japan stopped falling for the first time in five quarters in March but was still weak, a widely watched central bank survey showed on Monday, pointing to a modest economic rebound from June.
Tokyo, Beijing sign currency-swap deal
JAPAN - The Japanese government signed a currency-swap agreement with China on 28 March.
Expansion of Japanese broad money supply
LETTER - In a letter published in Thursday's Financial Times a chief economist explains how the Japanese money supply is increasing through commercial banks buying of government debt as a result of low demand for loans.
BOJ 'tankan' to show Japan sentiment bottoming out
JAPAN - The Bank of Japan's closely watched 'tankan' survey is set to record its first improvement in 18 months, economists say, suggesting the long-suffering economy may be bottoming out on hopes for an export-led rebound.
BOJ board voted 8-1 to keep policy unchanged 8 Feb
JAPAN - The Bank of Japan's policy board, at a Feb. 8 meeting, voted 8-1 to keep the bank's monetary policy stance unchanged, the BOJ said Tuesday.
Minutes of Japan's Monetary Policy Meeting
MINUTES - Bank of Japan Monetary Policy Meeting Minutes from the 7 and 8 February, released 26 March.
Bank of Japan Monthly Report
REPORT - Monthly Report of Recent Economic and Financial Developments from the Bank of Japan, March 2002, released 25 March.
China central bank chief to visit Japan this week
JAPAN - People's Bank of China Governor Dai Xianglong will visit Japan this week to sign a bilateral currency swap pact, Bank of Japan Governor Masaru Hayami said Monday.
Bank of Japan Monetary Policy Meetings, 20 March
NEWS RELEASE - At the Monetary Policy Meeting held today, the Bank of Japan decided, by majority vote, to maintain the following guideline for money market operations for the intermeeting period:
Japan slump 'slowing'
JAPAN - The struggling Japanese economy is continuing to deteriorate, but the decline shows signs of slowing down, the country's central bank said on Friday.
Bank of Japan leaves monetary policy unchanged
JAPAN - The Bank of Japan left monetary policy unchanged on Wednesday but said that if necessary it would provide extra liquidity to secure financial market stability towards the end of the fiscal year.
'Father of euro' suggests common Asian currency
CHINA - Asia needs a common currency with China, Japan and the Republic of Korea at the centre, said Nobel Prize winner Robert Mundell, in China on Tuesday reports New China News Agency.