The BOJ's decision comes just ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve's policy meeting, where the central bank is expected to keep its benchmark interest rate steady.

The Bank of Japan kept interest rates steady on Wednesday and warned of heightening global economic uncertainty, suggesting the timing of further rate hikes will depend largely on the fallout from potentially higher U.

TOKYO—The Bank of Japan held monetary settings steady on Wednesday as it expressed concern over the potential impact global trade frictions could have on the Japanese economy.In a widely expected move,