The Bank of Japan began a two-day policy meeting on Monday, with its decision-making board likely to maintain its stance on monetary easing despite recent signs of economic strength in the country as inflation continues to run below target.
Markets are likely to focus on any hints on the future direction of the bank's policy in Governor Haruhiko Kuroda's post-meeting press conference, particularly after a slight reduction in the BOJ's offers to buy government bonds earlier this month was seen by investors as signaling future tightening and caused long-term interest rates and the yen to jump.
A step toward winding down the massive monetary stimulus adopted in 2013 would align with similar moves in the United States, eurozone and Britain, but is doubly unlikely as the end of Kuroda's current term, in April, looms.