Japan Ministry of Finance (MOF)
The Ministry of Finance (MOF) is responsible for the country's fiscal and monetary matters. The MOF consists of the Minister's secretariat and seven bureaus. In addition to formulating the national budget, which is central to fiscal policy, the MOF monitors and guides banks and securities companies as to current monetary policy, adjusts the current balance of payments, and determines and maintains what MOF considers to be an appropriate level in foreign exchange rates. The MOF now tackles such major issues as fiscal structural reform and financial system reform. The Minister's special, local, and external organs include the Mint Bureau, the Printing Bureau, Local financial bureaus, Customs and Tariff Bureau, and the National Tax Agency.
