This relates to the earlier poll on the yen here. The same bunch of economists also see Amamiya, also known as "Mr. BOJ" after having had a hand in many of the central bank's unconventional easy policy steps, as being the most likely candidate to become the next BOJ governor after Kuroda (13 of 23 respondents voted for him, 7 voted for former deputy BOJ governor Nakaso).
That will definitely not stray away from the central bank's policy stance in recent years, with Amamiya perhaps being the safe choice so to speak. For some context, Kuroda's term is set to end in April 2023 and the race to succeed him with intensify in the months ahead with a decision likely to be made by early next year - with Japan PM Kishida is to have the final say of course.
Veteran BOJ watcher and MUFJ chief bond strategist, Naomi Mugurama, says that:
"The next governor would face the challenge of enhancing the operational functions of the BOJ's policy framework, without causing big market disruptions. It requires technocratic expertise and strength in decision-making (which makes Amamiya a strong candidate)."
