Japanese Minister of Economic Revitalization: We are closely monitoring the movement of Japanese government bonds.

Japanese Economy Revitalization Minister Ryosei Akazawa stated that the government is closely monitoring the trends in the Japanese government bond market. He told reporters in Tokyo that with Japan shifting towards a growth-oriented economy, the fiscal situation of Japan is expected to improve. He did not comment on the specific level of Japanese government bond yields; fiscal concerns will not prevent the government from making necessary budget allocations to achieve economic goals; efforts will be made to achieve stronger wage growth that outpaces inflation; Japan has not yet decided who will accompany US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on her visit to the Osaka World Expo this week.