The Nikkei 225 Index slipped 0.01% to finish at 63,484, while the broader Topix Index declined 0.52% to 4,037 on Tuesday, as Japanese equities struggled to hold earlier gains amid rising oil prices and global bond yields. Crude prices hovered near four-month highs, and benchmark yields in both the US and Japan climbed to multi-year peaks.
Investors also positioned cautiously ahead of key central bank policy decisions this week, with both the US Federal Reserve and the Bank of Japan expected to raise interest rates. At the same time, technology stocks were mixed amid mounting concerns about a potential slowdown in the pace of AI development. Notable laggards included Advantest (-3%), Fujikura (-1.9%) and Furukawa Electric (-3.3%).
In corporate news, Kioxia Holdings rose 2.3% after reports that the Japanese memory chipmaker is considering raising at least $10 billion via a listing of American depositary receipts.