For Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, his country's next central bank chief had to symbolise a departure from the unconventional policies of his predecessor Shinzo Abe — but without angering pro-growth politicians of Mr Abe's powerful political faction.
The tricky task of steering the Bank of Japan (BOJ) out of years of ultra-low interest rates without up-ending markets required the skill to read markets and clearly communicate policy intentions, both domestically and internationally.
