Former U.S. Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke participates in a discussion at the Brookings Institution in Washington in this file photo dated January 16, 2014. REUTERS/Gary Cameron

TOKYO (Reuters) - Ben Bernanke, a former Federal Reserve chairman, visited the Bank of Japan on Monday, according to a Reuters witness.

Government sources told Reuters on Friday that Bernanke, who steered the United States through its worst financial crisis in modern times, would meet with Bank of Japan Governor Haruhiko Kuroda and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe this week.

Reuters was not immediately able to confirm whether Bernanke met with Kuroda.

Last week government sources said Bernanke was expected to discuss Britain’s vote to leave the European Union and the BOJ’s negative interest rate policy.