The BOJ's decision comes just ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve's policy meeting, where the central bank is expected to keep its benchmark interest rate steady.

TOKYO—The Bank of Japan held monetary settings steady on Wednesday as it expressed concern over the potential impact global trade frictions could have on the Japanese economy.In a widely expected move,

TOKYO] One year on from Japan’s historic rate hike, profits at its biggest banks are soaring to records, while price rises are forcing consumers to cut back and higher borrowing costs are fuelling a political battle over how the government can rein in its outlays.