The swirling macro currents have weighed on sentiment all week, setting a cautious tone ahead of a meeting of US central bankers at Jackson Hole next week
South Korean markets, opening after a long weekend, were dented by concerns about slower growth in China, its biggest trading partner, as well as over rising Delta variant cases
The benchmark Nikkei 225 index gained 0.52 percent, or 142.01 points, to 27,665.20 at the open, while the broader Topix index advanced 0.36 percent, or 6.92 points, to 1,931.90