TOKYO - Tokyo stocks ended flat on Friday with investors retreating to the sidelines as other major bourses were closed for Christmas.
The Nikkei 225 index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange edged up 0.06 percent, or 10.21 points, to finish at 17,818.96, while the Topix index of all first-section shares rose 0.44 percent, or 6.24 points, to 1,427.50.
The market largely shrugged off a barrage of fresh Japanese data that provided further evidence of slowdown in the world's number three economy.
Japan's industrial output suffered a surprise drop in November, turning down after two months of rises.
Meanwhile, Japanese core inflation rate continued to slow in November, dealing another challenged to Tokyo and the Japanese central bank's battle to conquer years of deflation.
Currency rates fluctuated narrowly with the dollar buying 120.18 yen in Friday, from 120.14 in Asian trade Thursday.
European and US stocks markets were closed Thursday for the Christmas holiday, while financial markets in Hong Kong and Australia were among those in Asia-Pacific closed on Friday.
In Tokyo stocks trade, Honda fell 1.12 percent to 3,620 yen after media reports said the automaker would likely put off the January launch of a luxury sedan due to additional safety system checks.
Honda is among the automakers hardest hit by the recall of millions of vehicles over defective airbags, made by auto parts giant Takata, which have been linked to at least five deaths.
Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group was up 0.68 percent at 4,435.5 yen after Citigroup said Thursday it was selling its century-old Japanese retail banking operations to the Japanese group's trust banking unit.
AFP
