As if the stock market isn't struggling with enough, a short while ago Tokyo introduced a major wildcard into the mix - leaders in Japan decided to embark on a new and somewhat aggressive monetary policy.
After struggling with persistent deflation, The Bank of Japan announced a policy that rivals the QE program introduced in the US by Ben Bernanke.
The BOJ announced plans to double its holdings of long-term government bonds and exchange-traded funds and purchase Japanese government bonds (JGBs) of all maturities.
The BOJ also said it will pursue this line of monetary policy indefinitely; until it achieves its goal - an inflation rate of at least 2%. (Read More: Bank of Japan Unveils Aggressive Monetary Policy)
The move was widely considered a shot across the bow –that after years of struggling with deflation, Japan will do whatever it takes to break the cycle.