With Masaaki Shirakawa stepping down as governor of the Bank of Japan on March 19, three weeks earlier than scheduled, the process to select his successor is accelerating.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has made no secret that his choice must share his desire for aggressive monetary policy, sparking criticism that he is trying to erode the independence of the central bank.

Here are some of the issues hanging over the nomination of the next BOJ governor: