Following are questions and answers on the latest Bank of Japan monetary easing steps and the government's economic stimulus plan and their likely impact on the economy:
Why did the BOJ resort to further monetary easing?
The BOJ acted in response to the U.S. Federal Reserve Board's move to loosen its monetary rein, which recently pushed down the dollar against the yen to a 15-year low below 84. A strong yen erodes the competitive edge of Japanese exporters and dampens the Japanese stock market. The BOJ decided on another easing step because the economy looks set to slide further.