This file photo shows the Tokyo Stock Exchange. (Mainichi)

       TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Tokyo stocks closed lower Wednesday as investors locked in profits on technology and other issues after the benchmark Nikkei rose to a one-month high the previous day.

       The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average ended down 162.28 points, or 0.56 percent, from Tuesday at 28,906.88. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange finished 6.03 points, or 0.3 percent, lower at 1,998.99.

       Decliners were led by rubber product, food and electric appliance issues.

       The U.S. dollar stayed firm in the upper 114 yen range throughout the day, supported by importers buying it for settlement purposes.

       At 5 p.m., the dollar fetched 114.88-89 yen compared with 114.77-87 yen in New York and 114.84-85 yen in Tokyo at 5 p.m. Tuesday.

       The euro was quoted at $1.1300-1301 and 129.82-86 yen against $1.1305-1315 and 129.81-91 yen in New York and $1.1317-1318 and 129.97-130.01 yen in Tokyo late Tuesday afternoon.

       The yield on the benchmark 10-year Japanese government bond dropped 0.005 percentage point from Tuesday's close to 0.055 percent as investors bought the safe-haven debt on the fall in Tokyo stocks. Bond yields move inversely to prices.

       A day after recording its highest close since Nov. 25, the Nikkei opened nearly flat and was in negative territory for most of the trading session. Technology issues, which led Tuesday's advance, met selling, notably as market participants locked in gains, brokers said.

       Investor sentiment was also hurt by weak Hong Kong and Shanghai shares, which fell on concerns about the spread of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus in China and its impact on the global economy, they said.

       "Some semiconductor issues recently surged, so it was natural that they met selling," said Toshikazu Horiuchi, an equity strategist at IwaiCosmo Securities Co.

       Meanwhile, the market's downside was supported by participants scooping up battered shares ahead of the final day of trading on Thursday, he added.

       On the First Section, advancing issues outnumbered decliners 1,587 to 540, while 49 ended unchanged.

       Among chip-manufacturing equipment makers, Tokyo Electron fell 650 yen, or 1.0 percent, to 66,140 yen, and Advantest declined 180 yen, or 1.6 percent, to 10,880 yen.

       Bucking the downward trend, J. Front Retailing, which operates Daimaru and Matsuzakaya department stores, rose 73 yen, or 7.4 percent, to 1,059 yen, after it reported upbeat earnings for the nine months to Nov. 30.

       Other department store operators also advanced following J. Front Retailing's earnings report. Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings was up 8 yen, or 0.9 percent, at 861 yen, while Takashimaya rose 5 yen, or 0.5 percent, to 1,077 yen.

       Trading volume on the main section fell to 852.58 million shares from Tuesday's 952.49 million shares.

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