Kuroda backer Sakurai gets nod to join BOJ board

Tokyo

JAPAN'S Lower House of Parliament gave its approval on Tuesday for academic and reflationist Makoto Sakurai to join the Bank of Japan's (BOJ) divided policy board, a move seen as tipping the balance more in favour of governor Haruhiko Kuroda's push for radical stimulus.

Mr Sakurai, a think-tank executive, will replace Sayuri Shirai, a former International Monetary Fund economist who voted against the BOJ's decision in January to adopt negative interest rates. Mr Shirai's five-year term ends on March 31.