BoJ's Holdings Reach All-Time High

Apr 05, 2024 | News On Japan

TOKYO - The legacy of the Bank of Japan's (BoJ) aggressive monetary easing policy -- often described as "unprecedented easing" -- has swelled to a record high as the fiscal year comes to a close.

According to documents released Friday by the BoJ, under policies aimed at keeping long-term interest rates low, the outstanding balance of government bonds—essentially the nation's debt—purchased in large quantities, has reached 589 trillion yen ($3.9 trillion), marking the largest amount recorded at the end of a fiscal year.

As of the end of March this year, the BoJ's holdings in ETFs (Exchange-Traded Funds), essentially stocks, have risen to 37.1861 trillion yen, updating the record for the largest amount held at a fiscal year's end.

Kazuo Ueda, the Governor of the Bank of Japan, stated, "The Bank of Japan holds a significant amount of ETFs, but this measure was taken as a necessary action towards achieving our 2% inflation target."

During Friday's session in the Diet, Governor Ueda commented on the disposal of the large amount of ETFs held, stating that it "will be considered over time."

Source: TBS

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