BOJ’s Shirakawa will assess data in April to judge quake impact

Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Masaaki Shirakawa said on Monday that the central bank will look comprehensively at economic data and market conditions at its two policy meetings in April to measure the impact of last week's devastating earthquake on Japan's economy.
"Stock prices have fallen sharply on uncertainty over the outlook for Japan's economy," Shirakawa told a news conference.
"Today's step is aimed at preventing a risk-aversive stance from strengthening in the markets for commercial paper, corporate bonds and stocks."
The Bank of Japan eased its monetary policy further on Monday as share prices plunged and a nuclear emergency seized the country after Friday's devastating earthquake and tsunami in northeast Japan.