Former BOJ deputy governor WAKATABE said on Thursday that the appropriateness of
timing a potential rate rise is far less important than whether the economy can
tolerate monetary tightening. WAKATABE said: "Whether the BOJ will raise rates
in June is not the essential issue. The truly important thing is whether the
economy is in a state where the BOJ is able to raise rates." He is a member of
the government's key economic advisory body, the Council on Economic and Fiscal
Policy.
