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

       TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Tokyo stocks ended lower Thursday, dragged down by energy and technology issues, following a brief gain in reaction to a report about Japan's bigger-than-expected economic stimulus package to be unveiled the next day.

       The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average ended down 89.67 points, or 0.30 percent, from Wednesday at 29,598.66. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange finished 2.82 points, or 0.14 percent, lower at 2,035.52.

       Mining, marine transportation, and oil and coal product issues were among the decliners.

       The U.S. dollar took a breather after rising near the 115 yen line Wednesday, its highest level since March 2017, largely hovering in the lower 114 yen range in Tokyo trading while briefly falling to the upper 113 yen zone as traders moved to secure recent gains.

       Shares kept a weak tone from the opening but jumped into positive range in the afternoon after a news report that Japan's economic stimulus package will be 55.7 trillion yen ($488 billion) on a fiscal expenditure basis, boosted by a huge amount of cash handouts to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic.

       The amount of expenditure considerably exceeded some 40 trillion yen reported earlier, surprising the market which had been closely monitoring the developments, brokers said.

       "Investors quickly reacted positively to the report as the amount was much larger than market expectations," said Norihiro Fujito, senior investment strategist at Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities Co.

       But the gains for stocks proved to be short-lived as sentiment remained weak amid declines in oil companies, technology issues and some Nikkei heavyweights.

       "The market saw a pile of negative trading cues today, such as profit-taking in semiconductor issues after their U.S. peers fell and a tumble in Eisai Co.," Fujito added.

       Pharmaceutical firm Eisai tumbled 727 yen, or 9.0 percent, to 7,373 yen, after European regulators voted against approving its Alzheimer's drug jointly developed with U.S. biotech giant Biogen Inc.

       Among technology issues, chip silicon wafer manufacturer Sumco shed 27 yen, or 1.1 percent, to 2,455 yen, and chip test system maker Advantest sagged 280 yen, or 2.7 percent, to 10,270 yen.

       Oil explorer Inpex slid 71 yen, or 7.1 percent, to 933 yen, and refiner Eneos Holdings sank 15.5 yen, or 3.5 percent, to 432.7 yen, after U.S. crude oil futures slid to a one-month low overnight.

       On the First Section, declining issues outnumbered advancers 1,314 to 770, while 99 ended unchanged.

       Trading volume on the main section rose to 1,220.40 million shares from Wednesday's 1,173.39 million shares.

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