"I don't think anyone in the general public is angry about the fact that inflation hasn't reached 2 percent," Aso told parliament, when asked his view on whether the Bank of Japan should persist in meeting the elusive price goal.

Other major central banks, such as the ECB, are more flexible about their inflation targets with room for some allowance, Aso said. "I believe (the BOJ) could be a bit more flexible too," he added.