The Nikkei 225 Index slipped 0.2% to close at 66,132 on Thursday, while the broader Topix Index edged up 0.15% to 4,117, as Japanese equities traded without a clear overall direction amid mixed moves in major technology names. Investors continued to digest Nvidia’s strong sales outlook, which reinforced expectations that spending on AI infrastructure will remain robust. Japanese technology firms play a central role in the global buildout of AI infrastructure, a key engine of the country’s equity rally over the past year. Even so, Nvidia supplier Advantest fell 3.1%, lagging the broader tech sector. By contrast, Kioxia Holdings jumped 5% after reports that it is constructing a new chip plant in northern Japan to expand capacity and meet growing AI-driven demand for data storage.