Sakuya Fujiwara, former deputy governor of the Bank of Japan, says BOJ Gov. Toshihiko Fukui is constantly under public pressure over the central bank's monetary measures.

"Fukui is doing his best under the restrictions of the zero-interest-rate policy," said Fujiwara, who served as deputy governor between 1998 and 2003 and is now president of Hitachi Research Institute.

Saturday marks the first anniversary of Fukui's governorship. The 40-year BOJ veteran had stepped down as deputy governor in 1998 to take the blame for a series of bribery scandals involving BOJ officials.