The Bank of Japan is widely expected to leave its policy rate unchanged at a two-day meeting from Thursday, a month after implementing a hike for the first time in 17 years, though a persistently weak yen is raising the prospect of higher inflation driven by import costs.The Policy Board shifted to using short-term rates as its major policy tool last month, guiding them in a range of between zero and 0.1 percent. It ended unorthodox monetary easing that had weakened the yen, including its negative rate and yield cap program, as robust wage growth has boosted the BOJ's confidence that stable…READ FULL ARTICLE
