Before exchanging views with you, I will talk about economic and financial developments in Japan as well as the thinking of the conduct of monetary policy. I will also briefly touch on the challenges Japan’s economy faces for its growth. I.
Economic conditions in Japan  Overseas economies With progress in economic globalization, developments in Japan’s economy are under significant influence of overseas economic developments. The plunge in Japan’s economy after the failure of Lehman Brothers in the autumn of 2008 was attributable to the worldwide economic dive triggered by the financial crisis, the epicenters of which were the United States and Europe.