Tokyo stocks fell into negative territory in the afternoon. Advantest's decline weighed on the market, which remained subdued amid a lack of catalysts ahead of the Bank of Japan's press conference.
The Nikkei Average began the afternoon session higher but fell back into negative territory shortly afterward. Advantest was pressured by profit-taking selling, with its share price down more than 2%.
Market participants said the Bank of Japan deputy governor's press conference scheduled for 2 p.m. could provide clues ahead of the September monetary policy meeting, but catalysts remained scarce.
Around the morning session close, some AI and semiconductor shares were sold, limiting the Nikkei Average's decline. Investors continued to gauge the direction of U.S. stock futures.
As of 10 a.m., high-priced shares such as Advantest and Tokyo Electron were being sold, while buying prompted by Nvidia's earnings results did not continue. At the morning close, the Nikkei Average was moving slightly lower.