Kishida's aide names Amamiya and Nakaso as candidates for Bank of Japan Governor

Masayoshi Amamiya and Hiroshi Nakaso, current and former deputy governors of the Bank of Japan, respectively, are considered as possible contenders for the post of the next head of the central bank in April 2023. This was stated by one of the closest aides to the Prime Minister of Japan, Fumio Kishida.

Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Seiji Kihara, in an interview for Bloomberg News last week, noted that he does not consider these two candidates to be the only ones, even though he recognizes their talent and knowledge in the field of monetary policy.

Kihara also added that there was no need to speed up the appointment process, and suggested that the government could still come to a new agreement with the central bank. In his opinion, reaching the inflation target by the Bank of Japan is quite possible in 2023.

Choosing a new BOJ governor will be a fundamental decision for Kishida in the coming year.  This may also prove to be a serious challenge to his premiership as he is forced to make attempts to stabilize a decline in support.