(For more stories on the Japanese economy, click [ID:nECONJP])

* Govt to extend CP buying to bolster economy -Nikkei

* Kamei: BOJ should look at underlying economic conditions (Adds comments)

TOKYO, Nov 13 (Reuters) - Japanese banking minister Shizuka Kamei, a frequent critic of the Bank of Japan, said on Friday that the central bank seemed a little weak at analysing the economic conditions behind statistics.

Despite government pressure, the BOJ voted last month to stop buying commercial paper in December on the view that credit conditions had improved enough for it to phase out this and other emergency steps it put in place to deal with the global financial crisis.

The Nikkei economic daily said on Friday that the government would keep its commercial paper buying programme in place until next March or later on concern that the economy faces the risk of another recession. [ID:nT143851]

"The BOJ must be able to see underlying economic conditions," Kamei told a news conference after a cabinet meeting.

"It must have the ability to look at what is behind statistics, but it seems a bit weak at that."

In the run-up to the BOJ's decision last month the bank came under pressure from some cabinet ministers including Kamei who were concerned that a quick exit from emergency steps to support company funding would hurt the fragile economy, barely out of its worst recession in 60 years.