
TOKYO -- The Bank of Japan said on Friday it was holding interest rates steady, while the market awaited Governor Haruhiko Kuroda's speech at a news conference later in the day.
The BOJ's policy board voted 8-1 to keep the benchmark interest rate steady at -0.1%. In addition, the BOJ said it will continue to keep the yield on 10-year Japanese government bonds, or long-term interest rates, near 0%.