Bank of Japan says committed to powerful easing

Bank of Japan Governor Masaaki Shirakawa said on Wednesday the central bank is fully committed to continuing powerful monetary easing through various measures, such as keeping interest rates practically at zero and purchasing financial assets until 1 percent inflation is in sight.

If the Japanese economy is to extricate itself from deflation and return to a path of sustainable growth under price stability, it requires both policies aimed at enhancing growth potential and supporting monetary stimuli, Shirakawa said in a speech delivered at the Foreign Policy Association, a non-profit organization on global affairs.

(Reporting by Leika Kihara; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)