BOJ to discuss impact of yen's rapid slide at this week's policy meeting

TOKYO -- Policymakers at the Bank of Japan are expected to focus on the effects of a rapidly weakening yen on inflation at their two-day meeting starting Thursday as speculation swirls on the timing of the BOJ's next rate hike.

This will be the first policy board gathering since the bank raised interest rates for the first time in 17 years in March to end its negative interest rate policy. The BOJ also ended its yield curve control, which had aimed to keep yields on 10-year Japanese government bonds around zero.