Tokyo shares opened lower despite overnight gains on Wall Street, where the S&P 500 yesterday notched its first closing record since February. — Reuters pic
The Nikkei 225 index rose 0.26 per cent, or 59.53 points, to 23,110.61, while the broader Topix index gained 0.18 per cent, or 2.88 points, to 1,613.73. But investors started buying on dips, helping the Nikkei index close in positive territory following declines earlier this week, they said. Shortly before the market opened, the government said Japan’s exports in July plunged 19.7 per cent from a year ago, marking the 20th straight monthly fall, led by automobile and auto parts.