The BoJ is Convinced

The entire nine-member board of the Bank of Japan is convinced that deflation in Japan will be over by the end of this year: I only wish I was.

Minutes of the bank's board meeting earlier this month show board members expect year-on-year changes in consumer prices to be zero or to rise slightly at the end of the year.

In recent weeks, senior members of the BoJ, including governor Toshihiko Fukui, have been making statements saying the time is approaching when the bank can consider abandoning quantitative easing and considering raising interest rates.