The Tokyo markets had the highest percentage gains in the Asia-Pacific region Friday, with the Nikkei 225 gaining 2.57 percent to 16,569.09 and the Topix adding 2.55 percent to 1,608.25.

The Mothers market saw a more modest gain of 1.87 percent to 729.66.

Stocks related to commodities were higher, with Sumitomo Metal Mining (TYO: 5405) up 5 percent to ¥2,300 and oil group Inpex (TYO: 1605) jumping 6 percent to ¥1.06 million.

Shippers were also higher.

Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (TYO: 9107) was 3.7 percent higher to ¥1,496, while Mitsui OSK (TYO: 9104) gained 4.3 percent to ¥1,706.

A weakening yen helped export-focused stocks.

Sony (TYO: 6758; NYSE: SNE) had its biggest gain since early January as it added 5.5 percent to ¥5,580, while carmaker Toyota Motor (TYO: 7203.T; NYSE: TM; LSE: TYT) was 3.7 percent higher to ¥6,760.

The paper sector saw gains after a report that Nippon Paper (TYO: 3893) and Rengo Co (TYO: 3941), Japan’s biggest cardboard producer, will combine their cardboard operations next year.

Nippon gained 3.5 percent to ¥390,000 and Rengo was 7.6 percent higher to ¥723.

Banks were initially lower after Lehman Brothers (NYSE: LEH) reduced its profits forecasts on four investment banks, but Mitsubishi UFJ (TYO: 8306; NYSE: MTU) managed to bounce back from a 1.8 percent decline to a gain of 1.8 percent to ¥1.11 million. Mizuho (TYO: 8411; NYSE: MFG) was up 2.7 percent to ¥733,000.

In Tokyo the Nikkei 225 was up 0.88 percent Thursday to 16,153.82, while the Topix index added 0.69 percent to 1,568.23 and the Mothers market gained a bare 0.03 percent to 716.29.

Volume was low, with only around 1.52 billion shares trading hands during the session.

Traders were up on higher oil prices.

Mitsubishi Corp (TYO: 8058; OTC: MSBHY) was up 3.7 percent to ¥3,080, while Mitsui & Company (TYO: 8031) was 1.4 percent higher to ¥2,260 on reports that it has won a contract in conjunction with a South Korean engineering and construction group to build a diesel processing plant in Egypt.

Also higher on higher oil prices was refiner Nippon Oil (TYO: 5001), which added 4.3 percent to ¥937.

Electronics-related companies were also higher after the yen weakened.

Sony (TYO: 6758; NYSE: SNE) gained 1.2 percent to ¥5,290, while rival game-console maker Nintendo (TYO: 7974; NAS: NTDOY; FWB: NTO) was up 2.5 percent to ¥53,300 in Osaka.

Retailers were down on the session after new data revealed that retail sales were down by 2.2 percent in July against an expected drop of only 0.8 percent.

Mitsukoshi Ltd (TYO: 2779) was 2.4 percent lower to ¥521, while clothing retailer Fast Retailing fell 3.1 percent to ¥6,670.

The slide in consumer confidence in the US hurt exporters in Tokyo, where the Nikkei 225 dropped 1.69 percent to 16,012.83 and the Topix was down 1.71 percent to 1,557.55 on Wednesday.

The Mothers market of small and mid-caps fell 2.09 percent to 716.06.

A major exception to the declines was the internet sector.

In the internet sector, price-comparison site Kakaku.Com (TYO: 2371) gained 15 percent to ¥314,000 after it said it will sell part of its travel information unit to Yahoo! Japan (TYO: 4689).

Yahoo! Japan added 4.6 percent to ¥43,450 on the announcement.

Manufacturers of motor vehicles were mixed on the session.

While Toyota Motor (TYO: 7203.T; NYSE: TM; LSE: TYT) dropped 2 percent to ¥6,530, truck maker Isuzu Motors (TYO: 7202) added 4.4 percent to ¥598 after it said it is planning to raise operating profit by expanding sales overseas.

Camera maker Canon (TYO: 7751; NYSE: CAJ) fell 2.1 percent to ¥6,400, while in Osaka game console maker Nintendo (TYO: 7974; NAS: NTDOY; FWB: NTO) was 3.7 percent lower to ¥52,000. Financial services also saw declines.

Among banks, Mitsubishi UFJ (TYO: 8306; NYSE: MTU) fell 0.9 percent to ¥1.1 million, while Sumitomo Mitusi (TYO: 8316) was down 1.3 percent to ¥890,000.

Broker Nomura Holdings (TYO: 8604; NYSE: NMR; SGX: N33) was 1.6 percent lower to ¥1,987.

The real estate sector was down 2.1 percent as a whole, while Sumitomo Realty & Development (TYO: 8830) dropped 3.3 percent to ¥3,760.

After posting gains early in the session, the Nikkei 225 ended the session in Tokyo at 0.09 percent lower on Tuesday to 16,287.49 and the Topix index fell 0.2 percent to 1,584.6.

The Mothers market, however, managed a gain of 0.04 percent to 731.34.

Shippers were higher after Standard & Poor’s raised the credit rating of several companies to BBB.

Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (TYO: 9107) added 1.2 percent to ¥1,485, while Nippon Yusen (TYO: 9101) was up 1.4 percent to ¥1,123 and Mitsui OSK (TYO: 9104) gained 1.5 percent to ¥1,652.

Nippon Sheet Glass (TYO: 5202) was 4.8 percent higher to ¥673 after Daiwa Securities (TYO: 8601) raised its recommendation to “buy”, while robot maker Yaskawa Electric Corp (TYO: 6506) gained 4.1 percent to ¥1,346 as Merrill Lynch (NYSE: MER; TYO: 8675) began coverage with a “buy” rating.

Banks were lower on the session, with Mitsubishi UFJ (TYO: 8306; NYSE: MTU) down 1.8 percent to ¥1.11 million and Sumitomo Mitsui (TYO: 8316) was 1.9 percent lower to ¥902,000.

In the electronics sector, Sony (TYO: 6758; NYSE: SNE) dropped 0.6 percent to ¥5,380 and Matsushita Electric Industrial (TYO: 6572; NYSE: MC) fell 1.5 percent to ¥2,000.

Tokyo equities markets gained slightly Monday as the Nikkei 225 added 0.32 percent to 16,301.39, the Topix index gained 0.12 percent to 1,587.76 and the Mothers market of small and mid-caps was up 0.59 percent to 731.08.

The appointment of a new Finance Minister seemed to have little effect on the markets.

In the tobacco sector, Japan Tobacco (TYO: 2914) gained 3.4 percent to ¥609,000 after it said over the weekend that it will cut costs by consolidating overseas plants.

Among internet companies, Yahoo Japan (TYO: 4689) added 3.5 percent to ¥40,000 on an upgrade to “overweight” from JP Morgan Chase (TYO: 8634; NYSE: JPM).

Carmakers also made gains, with the sector as a whole advancing by 0.8 percent.

Toyota Motor (TYO: 7203.T; NYSE: TM; LSE: TYT) was up 0.6 percent to ¥6,700, while Honda Motor (TYO: 7267; NYSE: HMC) added 2.4 percent to ¥3,790.

Banks did not do as well. Sumitomo Mitsui (TYO: 8316) dropped 0.9 percent to ¥919,000, while Resona Holdings was down 1.3 percent to ¥237,000 after both banks had gains of over 2 percent earlier in the session.

Tokyo’s markets were lower Friday.

The Nikkei 225 fell 0.41 percent to 16,248.97, while the Topix index was down 0.37 percent to 1,585.85 and the Mothers market declined 1.79 percent to 726.77.

The electronics sector was mixed.

Matsushita Electric Industrial (TYO: 6572; NYSE: MC) fell 0.5 percent to ¥2,015, although Toshiba (TYO: 6502; LSE: TOS) added 1.4 percent to ¥1,068.

Optical glass manufacturer Hoya (TYO: 7741; OTC: HOCP) dropped 3.4 percent to ¥3,930.

Honda Motor (TYO: 7267; NYSE: HMC) was 0.5 percent lower to ¥3,700.

Elsewhere in the auto sector, however, Hino Motors (TYO: 7205) and Isuzu Motors (TYO: 7202) were both higher on rumors that were denied by both parties that they would join to develop lower-emission diesel engines.

Isuzu added 2 percent to ¥565, while Hino was 3.3 percent higher to ¥782.

Shippers were higher on the session.

Mitsui OSK Lines (TYO: 9104) was up 1.1 percent to ¥1,619, while Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (TYO: 9107) gained 1.2 percent to ¥1,619 and Nippon Yusen (TYO: 9101) advanced 1.8 percent to ¥1,116.

Camera makers were also higher, with Nikon (TYO: 7731) adding 2.7 percent to ¥3,370 and Canon (TYO: 7751; NYSE: CAJ) gaining 3.7 percent to ¥6,490.

In Tokyo on Thursday the markets were higher after the Bank of Japan voted 8 to 1 to hold interest rates at 0.5 percent, as expected.

The Nikkei 225 gained 2.6 percent to 16,316.32, while the Taiex added 3 percent to 1,591.81 and the Mothers market jumped 5.18 percent to 740.02.

Exporters were higher as the yen weakened.

Among carmakers, Toyota Motor (TYO: 7203.T; NYSE: TM; LSE: TYT) was up 2 percent to ¥6,680 and Honda Motor (TYO: 7267; NYSE: HMC) gained 2.5 percent to ¥6,260.

Tire maker Bridgestone (TYO: 5108) added 5.6 percent to ¥2,445 after it said it will boost production in Indonesian and Indian factories to satisfy demand.

Among trading companies, Mitsubishi Corp (TYO: 8058; OTC: MSBHY) was up 7.2 percent to ¥3,110 on the announcement of a share buy-back worth ¥150.1 billion, while Mitsui & Co (TYO: 8031) gained 6.8 percent to ¥2,365.

The banking sector added 4.6 percent as a whole, with Mitsubishi UFJ (TYO: 8306; NYSE: MTU) up 4.6 percent to ¥1,130,000 as Mizuho Financial (TYO: 8411; NYSE: MFG) added 5.2 percent to ¥715,000 and Sumitomo Mitsui (TYO: 8316) gained 5.5 percent to ¥933,000.

Resisting the trend to gains in the Asia-Pacific region, Tokyo equities markets were lower on Wednesday.

The Nikkei 225 traded about even at 15,900.64, while the Topix index dropped 0.3 percent to 1,544.89 and the Mothers market fell 0.02 percent to 703.56.

Exporters were lower as it was announced that Japan’s trade surplus dropped in July for the first time in 9 months.

The surplus fell by 21.1 percent from a year earlier as exports grew by 11.7 percent but imports were up by 16.9 percent.

Optical glass maker Hoya (TYO: 7741; OTC: HOCP) dropped 1.5 percent to ¥3,890.

In the semiconductors sector, Advantest (TYO: 6857; NYSE: ATE) fell 0.9 percent to ¥4,220.

The automobile manufacturing sector was also hit by negative broker comment as Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) dropped its full-year profits forecast for several carmakers.

Toyota (TYO: 7203.T; NYSE: TM; LSE: TYT) was 0.5 percent lower to ¥6,550, while Honda Motor (TYO: 7267; NYSE: HMC) fell 1.1 percent to ¥3,630 and Nissan was down 1.5 percent to ¥1,107.

Banks were lower on fears that losses in the subprime crisis, so far fairly muted there, could increase as well as on new data that showed bank lending up at its slowest rate in almost a year and a half in July.

Mitsubishi UFJ (TYO: 8306; NYSE: MTU) and Sumitomo Mitsui (TYO: 8316) each were 1.8 percent lower, to ¥1.08 million and ¥884,000 respectively, while Resona Holdings (TYO: 8308) dropped 3.4 percent to ¥229,000.

Gains came for companies that benefited from the news that crude oil prices were lower.

Japan Airlines (TYO: 9205) added 4.2 percent to ¥250.

Tokyo’s markets were higher on the session as the Nikkei 225 added 1.07 percent to 15,901.34 and the Topix index was up 1.73 percent to 1,549.88 after the Bank of Japan put another ¥800 billion into the system.

The Mothers index gained 1.23 percent to 703.72.

The steel sector, seen as a safer place for investors to put their money, was up on the day.

JFE (TYO: 5411) was 3.4 percent higher to ¥7,300, while Nippon Steel (TYO: 5401) gained 4.3 percent to ¥777.

Shippers were also higher, with Kawasaki Kisen (TYO: 9107) up 2.6 percent to ¥1,394 and Nippon Yusen (TYO: 9101) adding 3 percent to ¥1,065.

In the electronics sector, Sony (TYO: 6758; NYSE: SNE) added 1.3 percent to ¥5,280, but Matsushita Electric Industrial (TYO: 6572; NYSE: MC) was down 1.7 percent to ¥1,918.

In the semiconductors sector, chip-testing equipment maker Advantest (TYO: 6857; NYSE: ATE) was down 1.8 percent to ¥4,260 after it said that profits were 13 percent lower in its fiscal first quarter.

In Tokyo on Monday the Nikkei 225 was 3 percent higher to 15,732.48, while the Topix index added 2.9 percent to 1,523.57 and the Mothers market was up 0.98 percent to 695.18.

Export-focused stocks saw gains after the yen weakened versus the US dollar.

The automobile manufacturing sector was up around 4 percent as a whole, with Honda Motor (TYO: 7267; NYSE: HMC) adding 3.46 percent to ¥3,590.

Nissan Motor (TYO: 7201) gained 3.69 percent to ¥1,097, Toyota Motor (TYO: 7203.T; NYSE: TM; LSE: TYT) was up 4.2 percent to ¥6,450 and Isuzu Motor (TYO: 7202) was 5.3 percent higher to ¥517.

In the electronics sector, Sony (TYO: 6758; NYSE: SNE) added 3.17 percent to ¥5,210, while camera maker Canon (TYO: 7751; NYSE: CAJ) was up 7.6 percent to ¥5,810.