Despite the dual mandate, under the quantitative easing policy regime of the period covering March 2001 to February 2006, the primary objective was focused on the restoration of price stability or the exit from the deflation which had persisted since late 1998. The other important objective was to stabilize the financial system.
The Bank of Japan made a commitment to continue the zero interest rate policy unless the rate of change in consumer prices moved above zero in a stable manner. More precisely, the  BIS Review 1/2008  1  Monetary Policy Committee in October 2003 made the conditions for exit more transparent.