TOKUSHIMA, Japan, Nov 27 (Reuters) - Bank of Japan board member Sayuri Shirai said on Wednesday the central bank should not hesitate to ease monetary policy further if risks to the economy and prices materialise.

If market confidence over the BOJ's monetary policy is eroded sharply, that could be another trigger for further easing, Shirai told a news conference after meeting with business leaders in Tokushima, western Japan.

The BOJ has kept monetary policy steady since delivering an intense burst of stimulus in April, under which it pledged to double base money via aggressive asset purchases to accelerate inflation to 2 percent in roughly two years.