AsianFin—The Bank of Japan decided to maintain its current monetary policy and leave its policy interest rate unchanged at the current 0% – 0.1%, at its monetary policy meeting on Friday. The core consumer price index in Tokyo, a leading indicator of nationwide figures, rose 1.6% in April from a year earlier, slowing from a 2.4% gain in March. It compared with a median market forecast for a 2.2% rise.