For Sumio Ito's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
The Bank of Japan's decision had been widely expected among economists, despite ongoing speculation the bank might take action in light of a recent slide in the yen rate to a two-decade low.
The Bank of Japan will explore the design issues of a central bank digital currency in measured steps like Sweden rather than pressing ahead with large-scale pilot tests like China.
With global central banks accelerating interest rate hikes to tackle inflation, Haruhiko Kuroda will have the task of explaining why he is insisting on staying wedded to stimulus.
The view sharply contrasts with the stated position of Gov. Haruhiko Kuroda, who has repeatedly said he will stick with stimulus.
The bank left its interest rates and asset purchases unchanged, according to a statement Friday, as predicted by all economists in a survey.
"The yen has already moved a lot compared with last year, so a further weakening means volatility has generally been high," says Kazuo Momma.
Economists are predicting core consumer prices will rise at a pace of 2% or more this year as surging energy prices, a weakening yen and stabilizing phone charges feed inflation.
The call for more stimulus by Etsuro Honda comes barely three months after Prime Minister Fumio Kishida unveiled a bigger-than-expected ¥56 trillion package to support the economy.
Hiromi Yamaoka said that while it’s clear Japan’s payment systems need to change, he is totally against the idea of the central bank using a digital yen to gain extra policy leverage.
The central bank meets on Jan. 17 and 18, with its quarterly report on prices and growth likely to be the focus of interest.
