Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda said on Tuesday the central bank was ready to ease monetary policy further such as by expanding its loan programmes, cutting interest rates and ramping up risky asset purchases.

"The BOJ is ready to do whatever it can," Kuroda said in semiannual testimony to parliament.

"What's important now is to ensure markets are stable so that once the pandemic is contained, Japan's economy can resume a solid recovery path," he said.

(Reporting by Leika Kihara; Editing by Chris Gallagher)