BOJ board to assess subprime impact: Shirakawa

TOKYO, March 27 (Reuters) - Acting Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Masaaki Shirakawa said on Thursday the central bank's policy board will carefully assess the impact of the U.S. subprime mortgage problems on Japan's economy when it meets in April.

"We are monitoring with great interest the impact (of the market turbulence ensuing from the subprime woes) on economies of the world, the United States and Japan," Shirakawa said told the upper house of parliament's financial committee. (Reporting by Tetsushi Kajimoto and Yuzo Saeki)