Georgieva told reporters that an adjustment to the central bank's debt yield curve control regime was not driven by an increase in inflation, which remains very close to the bank's 2% target.

"BOJ rightly pursued accommodative policy. The pressure from labor on increases in labor compensation has not led to any dramatic change. In other words, there is no driver for inflation from there."

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal and David Lawder; Editing by Leslie Adler)