MNI BRIEF: Amamiya Approached To Be BOJ Governor - Press

Japan's government has approached Bank of Japan Deputy Governor Masayoshi Amamiya as a possible successor to central bank chief Haruhiko Kuroda, whose term ends on April 8, people familiar with the matter said, the Nikkei reported.

Government and ruling coalition officials said the subject had been discussed with Amamiya. The 67-year-old career central banker is the architect of most BOJ policies under Kuroda, it reported.

The government will present its nominees for BOJ governor and the two deputy governor posts to parliament this month after final discussions involving the ruling coalition.

The Japanese yen initially weakened against the U.S. dollar on the news, but then retraced some of those declines. The yen recently traded at 131.95. (See JPY: USD/JPY Off Nearly 100pips From Earlier Highs)