In Tokyo on Thursday, the Nikkei 225 had its highest close in 11 weeks as it added 1.64 percent to 17,458.98, while the Topix index was 1.17 percent higher to 1,677.52 and the Mothers market jumped 2.87 percent to 881.81.

The gain came after Moody’s Investor Service increased its rating on Japan’s debt to A1, saying that the new prime minister will work to cut the nation’s debt.

The retail sector was higher on news and an upgrade.

Convenience store operator Lawson Inc (TYO: 2651) added 1.1 percent to ¥3,780 on its report that profits were up 21 percent in the quarter ending 31 August and after it announced a stock buy-back program.

FamilyMart Co (TYO: 8028) was up 1.6 percent to ¥3,130 on a broker upgrade to “outperform”, while Aeon (TYO: 8267) gained 4.4 percent to ¥1,863 on the announcement that it will partner with a Chinese company to open up to 30 shopping malls in China.

Shippers were also higher.

Kawasaki Kisen (TYO: 9107) was up 3.5 percent to ¥1,731, while Nippon Yusen (TYO: 9101) jumped 5.1 percent to ¥1,213.

Losers included supplies of parts for Boeing’s (NYSE: BA; TYO: 7661) 787 Dreamliner aircraft, after the US aerospace group announced that deliveries of the first planes would be delayed by six months.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (TYO: 7011) dropped 1.2 percent to ¥719, while Kawasaki Heavy Industries (TYO: 7012) was down 2.2 percent to ¥444.

Tokyo’s markets were mixed on Wednesday.

The Nikkei 225 was 0.1 percent higher to 17,177.89, but the Topix index dropped 0.11 percent to 1,658.18 and the Mothers market was down 1.75 percent to 857.19.

Retailers saw gains on news of a cooperation agreement between Aeon (TYO: 8267) and Japan Airlines (TYO: 9205) in which the retailer will link its electronic money card to the airline’s frequent flyer miles program.

Aeon added 6.2 percent to ¥1,784, while Japan Airlines gained 4.3 percent to ¥265.

Elsewhere in the retail sector, department store operator Takashimaya (TYO: 8233) was 3.2 percent higher to ¥1,329 on better recommendations from Mizuho Securities and Nikko Citigroup.

Mizuho raised its recommendation from “reduce” to “hold”, while Nikko upped their rating on the retailer from “hold” to “buy”.

Elsewhere in the sector, Seven & I (TYO: 3382) was up 3.7 percent to ¥3,090 while supermarket chain Daiei (TYO: 8263; NAS: DAIEY) added 6.3 percent to ¥940.

Traders and commodities-related groups were higher after oil and metals prices rose overnight.

In the oil sector, Inpex (TYO: 1605) was up 3.4 percent to ¥1.21 million, while Nippon Mining (TYO: 5016) gained 2.1 percent to ¥1,177.

Among traders, Mitsubishi and Mitsui & Co. each added 1.4 percent, to ¥3,520 and ¥2,810 respectively.

Banks were lower, however. Mizuho (TYO: 8411; NYSE: MFG) was down 1.1 percent to ¥703,000 while Sumitomo Mitsui Financial (TYO: 8316) dropped 2.5 percent to ¥948,000.

Tokyo’s markets were mixed on Friday’s session.

The Nikkei 225 dropped 0.16 percent to 17,065.04, but the Topix index added 0.08 percent to 1,656.91 while the Mothers market gained 3.98 percent to 848.78.

Decliners on the session included Casio Computer (TYO: 6952), which makes a diverse range of devices including watches and mobile phones.

Casio dropped 19 percent, its daily maximum, to ¥1,272 after it reported that net income in its fiscal first half dropped by 58 percent, spurring broker downgrades.

Elsewhere in the electronics sector, Matsushita Electric Industrial (TYO: 6572; NYSE: MC) fell 3.3 percent to ¥2,080.

Traders and the oil sector gained on higher oil prices.

Trader Mitsui & Co. (TYO: 8031) was 0.7 percent higher to ¥2,800.

In the oil sector, Inpex (TYO: 1605) gained 2.5 percent to ¥1.21 million, while AOC Holdings (TYO: 5017) added 2.6 percent to ¥1,769.

Retailer Aeon (TYO: 8267) was 3 percent higher to ¥1,672 on a report that its net income in its fiscal first half added 2.8 percent and as it announced a higher dividend for the full year and a stock buyback worth up to ¥70 billion.

There were also gains in the consumer finance sector.

Promise (TYO: 8574) was up 4.6 percent to ¥2,960 on reports that it will post a higher net income in the current fiscal year than had been estimated.

Acom (TYO: 8572; OTC: ACMU) added 5.2 percent to ¥2,840, while Aiful (TYO: 8515) jumped 17 percent to ¥2,115.

Tokyo’s markets were mixed Monday.

While the Nikkei 225 gained 0.21 percent to 16,800.05, the Topix index dropped 0.08 percent to 1,632.64.

The Mothers market of small and mid-caps was up 0.65 percent to 767.49.

Shares related to commodities were higher during the day.

Sumitomo Metal Mining (TYO: 5405) gained 4.4 percent to ¥2,380, while metals smelter Mitsubishi Materials (TYO: 5711) was 9.8 percent higher to ¥639.

After losing 17 percent last week, Cosmo Oil (TYO: 5007) was up 4.2 percent to ¥547.

Shippers were up as well.

Mitsui OSK Lines (TYO: 9104) gained 1.5 percent to ¥1,623, while Kawasaki Kisen (TYO: 9107) added 3.9 percent to ¥1,485.

On the other hand, financial services and the retail sector were both lower.

Sumitomo Mitusi Financial Group (TYO: 8316) dropped 1.2 percent to ¥988,000, while insurer Mitsui Sumitomo (TYO: 8752) was 4.6 percent lower to ¥1,364.

Credit card issuer Credit Saison (TYO: 8253) was 5.3 percent lower to ¥2,840 after it said that it has seen costs related to bad loans go up by 41 percent.

In the retail sector, Aeon (TYO: 8267) was down 5.3 percent to ¥1,857, while electronics retailer Yamada Denki (TYO: 9831) fell 6.8 percent to ¥11,640.

In Tokyo the Nikkei 225 closed 2.4 percent lower to 17,283.81 on Friday, while the Topix index ended the session at 1,699.71, a drop of 2.2 percent.

The Mother’s market of small and mid-caps was down 1.51 percent to 839.27.

Export sectors were hit hard by worries that the global economy could slow.

Among carmakers, Toyota (TYO: 7203.T; NYSE: TM; LSE: TYT) fell 1.6 percent to ¥7,260, it lowest share price in six weeks, while Honda (TYO: 7267; NYSE: HMC) dropped 2.5 percent to ¥4,310.

Camera manufacturer Canon (TYO: 7751; NYSE: CAJ) was 5.5 percent lower to ¥6,510 even though it reported that its net profits were up 19 percent in the first half of 2007.

Games maker Nintendo (TYO:7974; NAS: NTODY; FWB: NTO) was down 6.2 percent to ¥58,000.

Shipper Mitsui OSK Lines (TYO: 9104) dropped 2.7 percent to ¥1,782.

Domestic sectors were also lower, still worried about Sunday’s elections as polls continue to say that the ruling Liberal Democrats could lose control of the Upper House of parliament.

In the retail sector, Seven & I (TYO: 3382) fell 1.2 percent to ¥3,390, while supermarket chain Aeon (TYO: 8267) was 4.6 percent lower to ¥1,917.

Among banks, Mitsubishi UFJ (TYO: 8306; NYSE: MTU) was down 3 percent to ¥1,290,000.

In Tokyo on Wednesday the Nikkei 225 was 1.1 percent lower to 18,015.58, while the Topix index also dropped 1.1 percent, to 1,758.65.

The declines came from both domestically-focused and export-focused sectors.

On the domestic side, the retail sector was down 1.9 percent as a whole, with several retailers doing even worse than that.

Aeon (TYO: 8267) dropped 2.1 percent to ¥2,055, while department store chain Isetan (TYO: 8238; SGX: I15) fell 2.2 percent to ¥1,922.

The worst performer on the Nikkei was Fast Retailing (TYO: 9983), which was down 4.4 percent to ¥7,280.

In the utilities sector, Tokyo Electric Power (TYO: 9501) was 4 percent lower to ¥3,600 on reports that a survey of earthquake damage in its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant had found 50 separate problems.

After US semiconductors manufacturer Intel (NAS: INTC; SEHK: 4335) reported margins at the low end of predictions in the second quarter, chipmaker Tokyo Electron (TYO: 8035) dropped 1 percent to ¥8,930.

The electronics sector was mixed on broker recommendations.

While Nikon (TYO: 7731) added 0.5 percent to ¥3,730 on a Morgan Stanley (NYSE: MS) upgrade from “overweight” to “equal-weight”, Pioneer was 3.3 percent lower to ¥1,645 after Credit Suisse (NYSE: CS; SWX: CSGN) cut its rating from “neutral” to “underperform”.

Tokyo markets were higher as the Nikkei 225 and the Topix index each added 0.3 percent, to 18,221.48 and 1,788.16 respectively.

However, the consumer finance sector there saw declines on media reports that many borrowers are asking for refunds of overcharges on loan interest.

Promise (TYO: 8574) fell 2.4 percent to ¥3,710, while Aiful (TYO: 8515) was 4 percent lower to ¥3,360 and Acom (TYO: 8572; OTC: ACMU) dropped 4.1 percent to ¥4,250.

Bucking the trend was Credit Saison (TYO: 8253), which added 1.3 percent to ¥3,200.

The retail sector added 0.8 percent as a whole, with Aeon (TYO: 8267) up 0.9 percent to ¥2,310. Seven & I (TYO: 3382) gained 2.6 percent to ¥3,600 on an upgrade from “neutral” to “buy” from Merrill Lynch (NYSE: MER; TYO: 8675).

In the electronics sector, Matsushita Electric Industrial (TYO: 6572; NYSE: MC) was 0.4 percent higher to ¥2,445, while Nintendo (TYO: 7974; NAS: NTDOY; FWB: NTO) gained 0.5 percent to ¥48,250 and Sony (TYO: 6758; NYSE: SNE) added 2.4 percent to ¥6,460 after recent declines due to poor sales of its PlayStation 3 games console.

The Tokyo markets moved little on Tuesday, with the Nikkei 225 just about even at 18,149.90 and the Topix managed a gain of 0.1 percent to 1,781.86.

Exporters did better in Tokyo than domestically-focused sectors were able to manage. Retailers saw declines, with Aeon (TYO: 8267) 0.2 percent lower to ¥2,285.

One exception among the general decline in domestic shares was Daiwa Securities Group (TYO: 8601, which added 3.8 percent to ¥1,352 after Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) upgraded the broker from “sell” to “neutral”.

Among export-focused gainers, Honda Motor (TYO: 7267; NYSE: HMC) added 0.7 percent to ¥4,570, while construction equipment manufacturer Komatsu (TYO: 6301) gained 1.4 percent to close at ¥3,690.

The electronics sector was mixed, however. While Nintendo added 2.1 percent to ¥46,700 on domestic sales of its Wii game console, the news that it far outsold Sony’s (TYO: 6758; NYSE: SNE) PS3 sent Sony’s shares 1.9 percent lower to ¥6,190.

Equities markets in Tokyo were lower on Wednesday as investors worried over the state of the US economy. The Nikkei 225 dropped 0.5 percent to 16,764.62, while the Topix index fell 0.2 percent to 1,689.60. The Mothers market of small and mid-caps was 1.2 percent lower to 1,036.58.

Export-focused stocks, which are generally more affected when investors are concerned about economic conditions in the US, were mixed. Carmaker Toyota (TYO: 7203.T; NYSE: TM; LSE: TYT) added 0.3 percent to ¥7,740. On the other hand, camera and office machinery maker Canon (TYO: 7739) dropped 2.4 percent to ¥6,070. Consumer electronics manufacturer Matsushita Electric Industrial (TYO: 6752; NYSE: MC) was 0.4 percent lower to ¥2,295.

The crackdown on interest charges in the consumer finance sector hurt Orient (TYO: 8585) after it blamed a larger than expected net loss in the year to March on having had to repay interest charges which were judged to be illegally high. The consumer lender fell 13.6 percent to ¥146.

Elsewhere in financial sectors, trouble broker Nikko Cordial (TYO: 8603; SGX: N06) added 1.3 percent to ¥1,357 on news of a bid from Citigroup (NYSE: C).

The real estate sector added 2.5 percent as a whole, with Mitsui Fudosan (TYO: 8801; NAS: MDSFF) up 3.5 percent to ¥3,270.

Retailer Aeon (TYO: 8267) dropped 3 percent to ¥2,300 after a lowered estimate of operating profits through March as a mild winter cut sales of seasonal products.

After a new Tankan report on business sentiment from the Bank of Japan came out about as expected, the Tokyo equities markets were up on Friday. The Nikkei 225 added 0.5 percent to 16,914.31, while the Topix index gained 0.3 percent to 1,657.40. Even though the Tankan figures were seen as positive, analysts are still convinced that the Bank will decline to raise interest rates when it meets next week.

In the tobacco sector, Japan Tobacco was 3.1 percent higher to ¥597,000 after it said it is talking to UK company Gallaher about a purchase.

The electronics sector added 0.5 percent as a whole, and Sony gained 1.6 percent to ¥5,050.

Domestically, the retail sector was up 0.4 percent, while Japan’s largest retailer, Aeon, was 1 percent higher to ¥2,575.

The securities sector also saw gains. Nomura Holdings added 1.2 percent to ¥2,165, while Daiwa Securities Group was up 1.4 percent to ¥1,336.

Transport sectors were driven lower by an increase in crude oil prices. Domestic airline All Nippon Airways dropped 0.9 percent to ¥433. Among shippers, Mitsui OSK was 0.5 percent lower to ¥1,110 and Nippon Yusen fell 1.1 percent to ¥847.

The rise in oil prices was good news for Inpex, however, which added 2.1 percent on the session to ¥1,010,000.