Japan’s Central Bank Should Face Up to Zero-Price Growth, Ex-Official Says

The Bank of Japan should accept it is making no headway in its efforts to spur 2 percent inflation and start normalizing policy, according to Tokyo University professor Tsutomu Watanabe, a former BOJ official and long-time advocate of the price goal. "The last five years have confirmed that the policy hasn’t had any effect," on prices, Watanabe said in an interview earlier this month, referring to the central bank’s aggressive easing measures aimed at stoking inflation. Watanabe’s comments come amid a recent softening of inflation that has prompted some economists to lower their price projections for the year and fueled speculation that the central bank will also have to lower its forecasts again next month.