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

       TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Tokyo stocks ended mixed Thursday, with the Nikkei snapping an eight-day losing streak as sentiment improved on receding concerns over the U.S. debt ceiling, although ongoing uncertainty over a global economic recovery continued to weigh on the market.

       The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average ended up 149.34 points, or 0.54 percent, from Wednesday at 27,678.21. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange finished 2.29 points, or 0.12 percent, lower at 1,939.62, extending losses for nine straight sessions.

       Gainers were led by marine transportation, and warehousing and harbor transportation service issues, while mining, and oil and coal product issues led decliners.

       The U.S. dollar hovered around the mid-111 yen range in Tokyo after the currency was sold overnight on speculation that a halt in the rise of U.S. Treasury yields would narrow the interest rate gap between the United States and Japan, dealers said.

       The Nikkei index was higher from the outset, breaking a losing streak that saw the benchmark sink over 2,700 points after falling eight consecutive sessions for the first time since July 2009. But the benchmark lost steam in the afternoon, with investors locking in profits as the index reached the 28,000 mark.

       The benchmark tracked gains on Wall Street after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said in a statement on Twitter on Wednesday he would agree to extend the debt limit until December to avert a national default.

       The move by McConnell came amid the U.S. debt crisis as confrontations persisted in Congress over raising the government's debt ceiling. U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen had mentioned that the country was set to reach its borrowing limit by Oct. 18.

       "Extending the debt ceiling by a couple of months proved to be a positive development for the market, although some unresolved external factors had investors hesitant about chasing the upside," said Yutaka Miura, senior technical analyst at Mizuho Securities Co.

       The market was reluctant to chase higher ground on lingering uncertainty surrounding the debt-laden Chinese property developer Evergrande Group, and concerns about inflation in the United States, brokers said.

       Some investors also refrained from making large moves as they await the U.S. employment data for September to be released on Friday, Miura added.

       On the First Section, declining issues outnumbered advancers 1,249 to 839, while 95 ended unchanged.

       Marine transportation issues were notably higher as investors went bargain hunting for shares that had been battered over the past few days, brokers said.

       Nippon Yusen surged 380 yen, or 5.2 percent, to 7,750 yen, Kawasaki Kisen climbed 350 yen, or 6.9 percent, to 5,410 yen, and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines grew 270 yen, or 4.0 percent, to 7,090 yen.

       Bucking the upward trend, retailer Aeon tumbled 169.0 yen, or 6.1 percent, to 2,610.5 yen, after its earnings report for the March-August business period released Wednesday fell below market expectations.

       Trading volume on the main section fell to 1,330.87 million shares from Wednesday's 1,673.82 million shares.

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