Japan Responds to Critics at Davos

Fighting back against critics who accused its central bank’s independence of being compromised, Japan’s economic minister Akira Amari defended Tokyo’s new economic policies Saturday at Davos. Speaking at the World Economic Forum, Amari said the Bank of Japan’s decision to introduce a new inflation target—part of a bid to boost the country’s economy—was made voluntarily, without the influence of the government. German Chancellor Angela Merkel were among the critics concerned with Japan’s actions.