Tokyo stocks close down but Nikkei posts big 2020 rise

TOKYO: Tokyo stocks closed lower on Wednesday, the last trading day of 2020, but over the year the benchmark Nikkei index rose 16 percent to its highest annual close since 1989.

The bellwether Nikkei 225 index closed down 0.45 percent, or 123.98 points, to 27,444.17, while the broader Topix index slipped 0.80 percent, or 14.50 points, to 1,804.68.