From Reuters survey of economist on Japan, current BOJ policy of the Bank of Japan:

  • short-term interest rates at minus 0.1%
  • long-term rates around zero %

Economists surveyed by Reuters expect these to remain in place until mid-2020 (at least)

  • No change until 2020 or even later
  • Danske bank
  • "With the consumption tax hike coming up and core inflation showing no signs of moving upwards, any tightening measures still seem far away"

More:

GDP forecasts:

  • 0.9% in the fiscal year to March 2019
  • For Q4 of 2019, the sales tax increase is expected to slash GDP by -3.2%, then +0.4% in Q1 of 2020
  • FY April 2019 - March 2020 GDP forecast at 0.8%

Core CPI is seen slow still, at 0.7% for FY 2019