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

       TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Tokyo stocks ended nearly flat Monday as investors locked in gains made earlier on hopes for the normalization of economic activity with nationwide COVID-19 cases steadily declining.

       The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average ended down 8.75 points, or 0.03 percent, from Friday at 30,240.06. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange finished 3.01 points, or 0.14 percent, lower at 2,087.74.

       Decliners were led by marine transportation and machinery issues, while air transportation and land transportation stocks led gainers.

       The U.S. dollar was supported in the upper 110 yen range on speculation that the interest rate gap between the United States and Japan would widen after expectations for early stimulus tapering lifted the U.S. Treasury yield late last week, dealers said.

       At 5 p.m., the dollar fetched 110.77-78 yen compared with 110.68-78 yen in New York and 110.47-47 yen in Tokyo at 5 p.m. Friday.

       The euro was quoted at $1.1694-1695 and 129.54-58 yen against $1.1716-1726 and 129.78-88 yen in New York and $1.1738-1739 and 129.66-70 yen in Tokyo late Friday afternoon.

       The yield on the benchmark 10-year Japanese government bond was unchanged from Friday's close at 0.050 percent.

       The stock market initially tracked a three-day rally by the Dow Jones index before giving up the gains and fluctuating around the previous day's closing level with players moving to lock in gains of over 600 points late last week on receding fears over the potential collapse of the Chinese property developer Evergrande Group.

       "Air and land transportation shares, as well as those related to leisure, met buying on hopes for economic recovery on expectations that the state of emergency will be lifted at the end of this month," said Yutaka Miura, senior technical analyst at Mizuho Securities Co.

       Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said Saturday he was optimistic about lifting the country's COVID-19 emergency by Sept. 30 amid a decline in nationwide cases. The number of confirmed cases is now at around 3,000 a day, down from its peak of approximately 25,000 seen in August.

       However, the market was weighed down by losses on the Shanghai Stock Exchange amid ongoing concerns about the Evergrande Group and its effects on the Chinese economy, Miura added.

       On the First Section, declining issues outnumbered advancers 1,355 to 736, while 96 ended unchanged.

       Among air and land transportation issues, ANA Holdings climbed 115.50 yen, or 4.2 percent, to 2,875.50 yen and Japan Airlines rose 83 yen, or 3.3 percent, to 2,636 yen.

       East Japan Railway gained 238 yen, or 3.3 percent, to 7,374 yen, while Keisei Electric Railway rose 50 yen, or 1.4 percent, to 3,665 yen.

       Eateries and retail shares were boosted by the expected end to the COVID-19 emergency. Torikizoku Holdings advanced 51 yen, or 2.4 percent, to 2,180 yen, while Takashimaya was up 48 yen, or 4.0 percent, at 1,237 yen.

       Meanwhile, some chip-related issues tracked falls late last week on the technology-heavy Nasdaq. Screen Holdings edged down 80 yen, or 0.8 percent, to 10,300 yen, and Taiyo Yuden lost 90 yen, or 1.2 percent, to 7,230 yen.

       Trading volume on the main section fell to 1,293.46 million shares from Friday's 1,425.37 million shares.

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