Groups

The Economic Studies Group mainly conducts research on economic issues. The Group covers a wide range of research that contribute to a better understanding of monetary policy management and macroeconomic activities, including the underlying mechanisms of price and wage dynamics, the process of inflation expectations formation, effects of unconventional monetary policy, and business cycles and economic growth. The Group also hosts the BOJ-IMES conference to exchange ideas and thoughts with leading academics in Japan and overseas and with economists from other central banks and international organizations. The Group publishes their studies mainly in the IMES Discussion Paper Series and the Monetary and Economic Studies, and also enhances the interaction with academic and business circles at home and abroad as well as other central banks, by inviting visiting scholars, organizing seminars, and participating in academic meetings. This publication practice is also applicable to other groups engaged in research activity.

The Financial Studies Group mainly conducts research on financial issues. The Group studies a broad range of topics related to stability of financial system and financial markets, such as effects of improvement in financial technology for financial institutions, sound financial regulation, and the fluctuation mechanism in international financial markets. The Group also conducts research using artificial intelligence and big data analytics. In addition, the Group holds workshops and discusses cutting-edge research topics, including its own research results, with scholars and practitioners.

The Legal Studies Group mainly conducts research on legal issues. The Group carries out legal studies in financial transaction law, financial regulations, and legal systems that may affect the economic environment and corporate behavior. The Group also organizes study groups in which academics and legal professionals including lawyers discuss a variety of legal topics related to finance and the economy including the digitalization of finance, and releases reports based on the discussions.

The Accounting Studies Group mainly conducts research on accounting issues. The Group studies financial accounting standards and the related institutional settings, as well as the impacts of those standards and settings on the users of accounting information, and on corporate behavior. The Group also organizes workshops on related topics.

The IT Studies Group mainly conducts research on IT issues. The Group studies topics such as the vulnerability of IT systems using machine learning techniques and security measures for it, the security evaluation of cryptographic algorithms used for financial services, the security of electronic payment schemes in retail financial transactions, and the potential impact of quantum computing on conventional cryptosystems. In addition, the Group holds Information Security Symposiums and discusses cutting-edge research topics with academic and business circles as well as governmental organizations.

The Digital Transformation Studies Group mainly conducts research on digital transformation (DX) toward utilizing it in central banking services. The Group studies new technologies for DX with a view to enhancing the central banking services and collaborates with other central banks and international organizations through international technical cooperation frameworks.

The Archives Group mainly archives and makes accessible historical records related to finance and the economy. Specifically, historical documents are transferred to the Group from each department in the Bank. The Group also repairs damaged paper records or conducts media conversion of such records into microfilm and long-life DVD discs to preserve them. In addition, the Group makes a decision for using those historical records upon request from the public.

The Currency Museum Group mainly collects, preserves, studies, and exhibits a variety of cultural and historical materials related to currencies. The Currency Museum reopened after a renovation on November 21, 2015. The Museum presents the permanent exhibition on the history of Japanese currency with a wide variety of materials on the nature of money, thereby stimulating visitors to consider how money has been created and used and why stability in the value of money is essential. The Museum attracts a wide range of visitors with the comprehensive and interactive exhibition.

The Monetary History Studies Group mainly conducts research on historical issues. The Group carries out a wide range of studies on monetary and currency history including historical studies of central bank policies, partly using materials in the Bank’s Archives.