Japan set for major stimulus, including 'helicopter drops' of money

Tokyo

WITH the prospect of a renewed recession and a politically sensitive parliamentary election approaching, Japanese officials appeared on Tuesday to lay the groundwork for a fresh bout of monetary easing combined with fiscal stimulus for the world's third largest economy.

The two could be combined into a "helicopter drop" of money onto the economy, which has moved in and out of recession several times in the past few years, a former official of the Bank of Japan (BOJ) suggested.