The dollar rose to a fresh 27-month high against the yen after Japan's central bank kept its ultraloose monetary policy unchanged and the bank's chief suggested the bank would go slow on any changes even as the nation's economic recovery gains momentum. The dollar rose as high as 119.39 yen Friday afternoon - the highest since August 2003 and up 0.66 yen from late Thursday in New York. Since March 2001, the BOJ has maintained a very loose monetary policy, keeping interest rates near zero and flooding the financial system with cash, to encourage economic growth and help lift prices, which have been sliding for several years. In recent weeks, BOJ officials have suggested they may start tightening monetary policy as early as next spring if the core consumer price index starts rising stably and a sustainable economic recovery is clearly underway. Such talk prompted criticism from government officials, who saw it as threatening the nascent recovery. In comments after the central bank's policy meeting, Bank of Japan Gov. Toshihiko Fukui downplayed any rift between the central bank and government officials over the timing of any tightening. "There is no difference in the basic view that economic growth amid price stability is desirable," Fukui told a news conference. The euro fell against the dollar to $1.1724 from $1.1755 late Thursday in New York as U.S. companies sold the euro for dollars to send money home to take advantage of soon-to-end tax breaks under the U.S. Homeland Investment Act, traders said. Against other Asian currencies, the dollar was mostly higher. It rose to 10,075 Indonesia rupiah from 10,020, and 45.750 Indian rupees from 45.66.