Although liquidity crises are short-term emergencies and macroeconomic stability is a medium-term goal, locked credit markets soon have wider economic effects.
The inflation target replaces the BoJ's current, vaguely-worded "goal" for price stability over the medium to long-term, which was taken to mean a positive range of 2 per cent or lower in year-on-year change in the consumer price index.
Better understanding will help in the development of better treatments - but the goal in the medium term is to be able to identify potential problems early on and carry out an accurate prognosis.