Sources: The Bank of Japan will decide at its meeting next week whether inflation has reached the 2% target.

On October 21, according to Kyodo News, sources informed on Wednesday that the Bank of Japan will assess at next week's policy meeting whether the underlying inflation rate has reached the 2% target. This determination would serve as a symbolic turning point for the central bank, marking its departure from a long-standing monetary policy orientation aimed at combating deflation. The BOJ initially set a 2% inflation target in January 2013. Despite implementing an aggressive monetary easing program, the bank has repeatedly delayed the projected timeline for achieving this goal. If ultimately met, nearly 14 years will have passed since the target was first introduced. (Jin10)