• The benchmark Nikkei 225 index lost 0.49 percent or 106.63 points to end at 21,778.61.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 index lost 0.49 percent or 106.63 points to end at 21,778.61, while the broader Topix index was off 0.42 percent or 6.71 points at 1,596.29.