Japan's central bank further loosened its already super-easy monetary policy Thursday and pumped more money into the financial system by expanding its asset purchase program by about 10 trillion yen ($119 billion).

The Bank of Japan, ending a two-day policy board meeting, also said it will consider its pricing goals — an acknowledgement of pressure from the incoming prime minister, who is pushing for a 2 percent inflation target.

The bank said in a statement its asset purchase program will now total about 101 trillion yen ($1.2 billion). Japan's benchmark interest rates are already at zero.

The economy has been stuck in stagnation for two decades. Japan is also fighting a problem that was until recently relatively unique in the world — deflation, or continually dropping prices. Deflation deadens economic activity.

The pro-business conservative party, voted back into power in Sunday's elections, has made economic recovery its priority. The party, which ruled Japan for decades before a change of power in 2009, is expected to boost public-works spending.

Although the head of the Liberal Democratic Party, Shinzo Abe, isn't expected to be picked prime minister by parliament until next week, Tokyo stocks have already risen, and the strong yen, a longtime minus for Japan's exporters, has reversed course.

Abe has been pressuring the central bank to work more closely with the government to revive the economy. Central bankers will study pricing issues and report back at the next meeting in January, the Bank of Japan said.