Bank of Japan to take additional easing steps as needed

The Bank of Japan is ready to take additional steps to ease monetary policy as necessary, though specific moves will depend on the outlook for economy and prices, Deputy Governor Kiyohiko Nishimura said on Wednesday.

"The BOJ is committed to implementing additional easing measures, if deemed necessary," Nishimura said in a speech to business leaders in Okayama, western Japan.

A former university professor and a statistics expert, Nishimura joined the board in 2005 and was appointed a deputy governor in March 2008.

He has been among board members more pessimistic about Japan's economic outlook and surprised markets by proposing unsuccessfully in April last year that the BOJ should boost its asset purchases. He has voted with the majority since then.

The BOJ will consider easing monetary policy at its next policy review on April 27 by boosting government bond purchases under its 65 trillion yen ($) asset-buying and loan program, sources have said, as it battles to nudge inflation towards its 1 percent goal.