Kazumasa Iwata, former deputy governor of the Bank of Japan, speaks during an interview with Reuters in Tokyo in this September 3, 2012 file photo. Asian Development Bank chief Haruhiko Kuroda is ... more 

Kazumasa Iwata, former deputy governor of the Bank of Japan, speaks during an interview with Reuters in Tokyo in this September 3, 2012 file photo. Asian Development Bank chief Haruhiko Kuroda is leading the race to become the new governor of Japan's central bank, according to media reports on Sunday, as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe nears a decision on who will head the bank's fight against deflation. However, evidence is building that the race between former top financial bureaucrat Toshiro Muto, Kuroda and Iwata may be closer than thought, say officials and lawmakers familiar with the selection process. The government has said it will decide its nominee this week and Abe was expected to huddle with aides to reach a final decision after returning from a U.S. trip on Sunday. Picture taken September 3, 2012. To match story JAPAN-ECONOMY-BOJ-NOMINEE/ REUTERS/Toru Hanai/Files (JAPAN - Tags: BUSINESS) less