BANK OF JAPAN BOJ

Headquartered in the business district of Nihonbashi in Tokyo, the Bank of Japan is the Japanese central bank. The bank is responsible for issuing and handling currency and treasury securities, implementing monetary policy, maintaining the stability of the Japanese financial system, and providing settling and clearing services.

Like most central banks, the Bank of Japan also compiles and aggregates economic data and produces economic research and analysis.

At the time of writing (mid-2006), the governor of the Bank of Japan is Masaaki Shirakawa, who assumed the post in April 2008. The bank's headquarters in Nihonbashi are located on the site of a historic gold mint, which is located close to the city's Ginza, or "silver mint", district.

The Bank of Japan issued its first currency notes in 1885 and, with the exception of a brief period following the Second World War, it has operated continuously ever since.