Masaaki Shirakawa: Demographic changes and macroeconomic performance – Japanese experiences Opening remarks by Mr Masaaki Shirakawa, Governor of the Bank of Japan, at the 2012 BOJ-IMES Conference, hosted by the Institute for Monetary and Economic Studies, at the Bank of Japan, Tokyo, 30 May 2012. *  I. *  *  Introduction  Good morning.
I am very pleased to have a lot of participants from central banks, international organizations, and academia in this year’s annual BOJ-IMES Conference. On behalf of my colleagues at the Bank of Japan, I am privileged to welcome you all here in Tokyo.