TOKYO -- The Bank of Japan has replaced the head of its monetary affairs department for the first time in five years, bringing together a mentor-and-student pair that once urged on a recalcitrant central bank but is now confronted with the opposite problem.
Takeshi Kato, previously director-general of the information system services department, has taken over from Shinichi Uchida, who now heads the BOJ's Nagoya branch. Kato will work with Executive Director Masayoshi Amamiya to steer policy behind the scenes.