Thus, in order to achieve the price stability target of 2 percent, people's mindset based on the assumption that prices will not increase easily -- which became entrenched under prolonged deflation -needs to change.
However, inflation expectations have been more or less unchanged so far despite moderate inflation, and it has been taking time for people's mindset toward prices to change, or in other words, for the deflationary mindset to be dispelled. I would like to add one point regarding prices.