( dpa )- Japan's central bank decided to keep the key interest rate unchanged at 0.5 per cent at its two-day meeting on Friday.
Nine members of the Bank of Japan's policy board voted unanimously to forego another interest rate hike due to uncertain outlook of the US and domestic economies.
The bank has maintained the interest rate at 0.5 per cent for a year after it raised the rate from 0.25 per cent in February 2007.
The policy board meeting was the last one for the bank's Governor Toshihiko Fukui before he steps down on March 19 to end his five-year tenure.