Sharp yen falls would hurt Japan's economy by heightening uncertainty over the outlook, one BOJ board member was quoted as saying at the meeting.

At the June 16-17 meeting, the BOJ maintained ultra-low interest rates and vowed to defend its cap on bond yields with unlimited buying, bucking a global wave of monetary tightening in a show of resolve to focus on supporting a tepid economic recovery.

(Reporting by Leika Kihara; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)