The Bank of Japan left its interest rate target unchanged at 0.5 per cent today, as expected, in a unanimous vote.
The rate review was completed as parliament moved to appoint acting governor Masaaki Shirakawa to the job permanently, ending a three-week vacuum at the top of the central bank.
While the BOJ's rate decision was no surprise, markets are watching closely to see if it has become more pessimistic in its outlook for the Japanese economy.
The BOJ has kept monetary policy on hold since raising the key overnight call rate target from 0.25 per cent in February last year.