The Bank of Japan will continue maintaining an easy monetary policy following the lifting of its "zero-interest-rate" policy last month, BOJ Gov. Masaru Hayami said Tuesday.
He added that it is still too early to see the effects of the rate hike both on the financial sector and the nation's overall economic health.
"If we look at production and machinery orders, there is no doubt that corporate investment is gradually recovering," Hayami told a news conference. Income levels remain on the road to recovery, while the effects of growing corporate health are spreading to household economies, he said.
"From now on, we need to keep a close watch on the strength, autonomy and sustainability of private-sector demand," he said.