TOKYO: Japanese shares fell on Wednesday, led by declines in AI-related stocks, as investors booked profits from the latest fast-paced rally.
The Nikkei fell 0.92 percent to 70,035.71. The index exceeded the 70,000 mark this week for the first time in three months and has risen nearly 5 percent this month.
The broader Topix slipped 0.7 percent to 4,154.11.
Chip-testing equipment maker Advances fell 1.34 percent after hitting a record high on Monday. Chip-making equipment maker Tokyo Electron lost 2.38 percent. Memory chip maker Kioxia fell 4.46 percent.
Gains in US shares were not strong enough to boost Japanese shares, Ikeda said.
Of more than 1,500 stocks trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange’s prime market, 62 percent fell, 33 percent rose and 3 percent traded flat.