Bank of Japan policymakers agreed to further debate the timing of an exit from its ultra-loose monetary policy, and the appropriate pace of interest rate hikes thereafter, minutes of their December meeting showed on Friday. In a sign they were already brainstorming ideas, some in the board said the BOJ could maintain its bond yield control as a loose framework even after pulling short-term interest rates out of negative territory, the minutes showed. "A few members said the BOJ will likely maintain massive monetary easing for some time, even after ending negative interest rates and yield curve control," the minutes ... (full story)