Storyline: The Bank of Japan (BOJ) said on Thursday that it will leave the policy interest rate unchanged at around 0.5 percent following the conclusion of a two-day monetary policy meeting, which marks the fourth consecutive times the central bank has been sitting tight since raising the rate from 0.25 percent to 0.5 percent in January this year. Following the January rate increase, the central bank decided to keep the rate unchanged in March, citing concerns that U.S. tariff policies could increase global economic uncertainty, while the monetary policy meetings in May and June continued to maintain this interest rate level. The central bank also raised its forecasts for the year-on-year increase in the country's core consumer price index, excluding fresh food, for 2025 from the previous 2.2 percent to 2.7 percent, according to its quarterly released Outlook for Economic Activity and Prices on Thursday. At a press conference held Thursday afternoon, Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda said that the inflation rate in Japan, excluding various temporary factors, is strengthening, while the possibility of returning to deflation has decreased. The central bank will closely monitor various factors affecting the wage and price increase cycle and will adjust monetary policy as needed, including raising the interest rate at an appropriate time, he stressed. Shotlist: FILE: Tokyo, Japan - Date Unknown: 1. Japanese national flag 2. Building of Bank of Japan 3. Sign of Bank of Japan FILE: Tokyo, Japan - June 16, 2022: 4. Various of signs reading "The Bank of Japan" FILE: Tokyo, Japan - Date Unknown: 5. Various of Japanese yen banknotes going through counting machine 6. Various of Japanese yen banknotes on counter FILE: Tokyo, Japan - Date Unknown: 7. Various of customers in supermarket; goods for sale FILE: Tokyo, Japan - July 3, 2024: 8. Various of customers, vegetables, fruits, price tags in supermarket 9. Various of customers buying goods at grocery store FILE: Tokyo, Japan - Date Unknown: 10. Street views FILE: Tokyo, Japan - Aug 24, 2021: 11. Various of traffic, pedestrians. [Restrictions : No access Chinese mainland]