In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 was 0.28 percent lower to 16,785.69 on Friday.

The Topix index closed at 1,616.62, while the Mothers market was higher, ending the session at 732.72 for a gain of 1.7 percent.

The pharmaceuticals sector was mixed.

Chugai Pharmaceutical (TYO: 4519) was 2.6 percent lower to ¥1,897 after it said it would need to extend clinical tests for a new anemia drug, while Daiichi Sankyo (TYO: 4568) gained 4.6 percent to ¥3,450 on the news that the US Food and Drug Administration approved its new blood pressure medication.

House builders were also mixed.

While Daiwa House Industry (TYO: 1925) dropped 0.1 percent to ¥1,499, Sekisui House (TYO: 1928; OTC: SKHSY) was 0.6 percent higher to ¥1,446.

In the real estate sector, Mitsubishi Estate (TYO: 8802) was down 3 percent to ¥3,290.

Consumer lender Takefuji (TYO: 8564) added 5.8 percent to ¥2,280 after it announced a share buy-back.

Camera and copier maker Canon (TYO: 7751; NYSE: CAJ) gained 2.6 percent to ¥6,270 on the possibility that it might also buy back shares.

Construction equipment manufacturer Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (TYO: 7011) was 1.9 percent higher to ¥751 on the announcement that it will supply a Chinese nuclear facility.

Tokyo’s markets dropped again Friday on continuing worries about the condition of the property market there.

The Nikkei 225 was 0.83 percent lower to 16,122.16, while the Topix index dropped 0.73 percent to 1,557.02 and the Mothers market dipped 0.93 percent to 704.82.

The real estate sector was down 1.5 percent as a whole after the head of a major Japanese house builder said that the nation’s real estate price bubble could burst soon.

Sumitomo Realty & Development (TYO: 8830) fell 1.8 percent to ¥3,310.

In a related sector, house builder Daiwa House (TYO: 1925) was 1 percent lower to ¥1,435.

Banks were lower as well, dropping 2.2 percent as a sector.

Mitsubishi UFJ (TYO: 8306; NYSE: MTU) was down 1.9 percent to ¥1.06 million, while Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group (TYO: 8316) fell 3 percent to ¥846,000 and Mizuho Financial (TYO: 8411; NYSE: MFG) dropped 3.4 percent to ¥678,000.

Exporters fell on the news that US house foreclosures were at an all-time high in the US in the second quarter.

Carmaker Toyota Motor (TYO: 7203.T; NYSE: TM; LSE: TYT) was 0.5 percent lower to ¥6,600, while Nintendo (TYO: 7974; NAS: NTDOY; FWB: NTO) was down 1.5 percent to ¥52,900 on the Osaka exchange and camera maker Canon (TYO: 7751; NYSE: CAJ) dropped 2.3 percent to ¥6,280.

But some commodities-related shares were higher on higher prices for oil and gold.

Inpex (TYO: 1609) was up 1.9 percent to ¥1.07 million while Japan Petroleum Exploration (TYO: 1662) added 6.5 percent to ¥7,880.

Sumitomo Metal Mining (TYO: 5713) gained 2.2 percent to ¥2,340.

Equities markets in Tokyo were slightly lower on Monday on declines in the securities and steel sectors. Semiconductors were down as well, while electronics were mixed and paper and pulp saw increases during the day. The Nikkei 225 fell 0.2 percent to 14,794.5, while the Topix index was down 0.1 percent to 1,514.22.

The steel sector was especially hard hit. Japan Steel Works fell just 0.2 percent to ¥656, while Kobe Steel dropped 3 percent to ¥326 and JFE was down by 4.6 percent to ¥4,380. Tokyo Steel, hurt by a quarterly report that showed earnings down 42.6 percent in the quarter, declined by 17.1 percent to ¥1,945.

The semiconductor sector was hurt by a profit warning from computer maker Dell. Advantest fell 1.4 percent to ¥10,930, while Tokyo Electron dropped 3.8 percent to ¥7,120.

Among electronics companies, Sony was down 0.6 percent to ¥4,810 and NEC fell by 2.1 percent to ¥566. On the other hand, Matsushita Electric Industrial gained 2.7 percent to ¥2,245, while Sharp was up 4.4 percent to ¥1,836.

The securities sector saw losses after Goldman Sachs issued a reduced forecast for the sector as a whole in the wake of first-quarter earnings reports from the four largest brokerages in Japan. Nomura fell 0.3 percent to ¥2,015, while Mitsubishi UFJ Securities was down 1.5 percent to ¥1,273 and Daiwa Securities was 2.7 percent lower to ¥1,226.

Prospects for consolidation sent the paper and pulp sector higher after Oji Paper made an unsolicited offer for Hokuetsu Paper Mills. Hokuetsu, in an effort to fend off the bid, offered to sell 50 million new shares to Mitsubishi Paper Mills. The news sent Oji Paper 2.3 percent higher to ¥656, while Mitsubishi Paper Mills was up 9.8 percent to ¥224 and Hokuetsu added 15.8 percent to ¥735.

The Tokyo equities markets were up strongly on Friday after Thursday’s gains on Wall Street in the wake of another hike in US interest rates by the Federal Reserve. The Nikkei 225 and the Topix index each added 2.5 percent on the day to 15,505.18 and 1,586.96 respectively. Export-focused stocks were helped by expectations of higher demand in the United States, while domestic stocks also saw advances.

In the electronics sector, Advantest and Tokyo Electron each added 2.8 percent, to ¥11,660 and ¥8,000 respectively..

Construction machinery maker Komatsu gained 3.4 percent to ¥2,340. Industrial robot maker Fanuc was up 3.2 percent to ¥10,280.

Automobile manufacturers also saw gains. Toyota advanced by 4.2 percent to ¥5,990, while Nissan added 5 percent to ¥1,250 after declines earlier in the week. Mazda also gained 5 percent, to ¥717.

The banking and real estate sectors were also up on Friday. Chiba Bank gained 4.5 percent to ¥1,070, while Bank of Yokohama was up 6.6 percent to ¥885 and Mitsui Trust added ¥1,375.

In real estate, Mitsui Fudosan advanced by 4 percent to ¥2,485, Tokyo Tatemono added 4.1 percent to ¥1,226, and Daiwa House gained 5.8 percent to ¥1,830.

Among the losers on the day was department store chain Takashimaya, which was down 0.6 percent to ¥1,436 after it said its first quarter earnings had been lower than had been expected.

Equities markets in Tokyo saw substantial gains on Friday in both domestic and export-focused sectors. The Nikkei 225 ended the day 2.8 percent higher at 14,879.34, while the Topix index added 3.3 percent to 1,534.71.

The steel sector added 4.7 percent as a whole on increased demand around the world. Nippon Steel was up 3.9 percent to ¥405, while Kobe Steel and Sumitomo Metal Mining each advanced by 4.6 percent to ¥339 and ¥1,330 respectively.

Banks were up 4.3 percent as a sector on the expectation that interest rates will rise in July. Mitsubishi UFJ gained 4.2 percent to ¥1,490,000, while Mizuho Financial advanced by 4.9 percent to ¥892,000.

Mitsui Fudosan was up 3.9 percent to ¥2,295 and Daiwa House added 5.1 percent to ¥1,773 as the real estate sector as a whole added 4.1 percent.

Retail saw gains as well. Seven & I advanced by 2.2 percent to ¥3,710, while Aeon gained 4.4 percent to ¥2,500.

The pharmaceuticals sector was up, but only by 0.8 percent and results were mixed for companies within the sector. Astellas Pharmaceuticals added 1 percent to ¥4,020, but Chugai and Daiichi Sankyo lost share value, by 0.9 percent to ¥2,205 and by 2 percent to ¥2,725 respectively.