Some Bank of Japan policymakers said overseas economies continue to pose downside risks to Japan's economy and prices, minutes of a policy meeting held in April showed on Tuesday.
Those members also said the central bank should carefully examine these risks in the future and ease monetary policy without hesitation if needed.
At the meeting, held on April 27-28, the BOJ held off on expanding monetary stimulus even as global headwinds, a strong yen and soft consumption threatened to derail a fragile economic recovery.
The BOJ also cut its inflation forecasts in a quarterly review of its projections and once again pushed back the timing for hitting its 2 percent price target, by six months, saying it may not happen until March 2018 at the latest.