The currency market is looking for clues on whether monetary policy shifts are in the offing in Japan and the United States.

Amid uncertainty about the outcome of next month's poli- cy-setting meetings of the Japanese and U.S. central banks, the dollar-yen rate could remain trapped in a relatively narrow range between 105 yen and 110 yen for some time.

At its Policy Board meeting July 17, the BOJ left its ultraeasy money policy intact, apparently mindful of the impact that Sogo Co.'s collapse might have on the economy.