TOKYO -- Ever since the Bank of Japan made its historic decision to send interest rates below zero, there has been a certain "through the looking glass" feel to the markets, where the typical rules seem to have been tipped upside down.
The rate decision, made during the central bank's policy-setting meeting on Jan. 29, was aimed at breathing new life into the moribund economy. But the market response has hardly been auspicious, with the Nikkei Stock Average plunging.
