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

The Nikkei 225 was 0.56 percent lower to 15,358.39 and the Topix index fell 0.43 percent to 1,563.86, but the Mothers market added 2.21 percent to 923.56.

The banking sector was disturbed by the report concerning Merrill Lynch’s (NYSE: MER; TYO: 8675) writedowns.

Mitsubishi UFJ (TYO: 8306; NYSE: MTU) was down 0.8 percent to ¥1,038, while Sumitomo Mitsui (TYO: 8316) dropped 1.3 percent to ¥840,000 and Mizuho Financial (TYO: 8411; NYSE: MFG) fell 1.5 percent to ¥612,000.

Gainers on the session included Chugai Pharmaceutical (TYO: 4519), which added 5.3 percent to ¥1,897 after it reported that net income was up 8.5 percent in the third quarter.

Other gains came on broker upgrades.

Sumitomo Metal Industries (TYO: 5405) was up 2 percent to ¥601 and Sumitomo Chemical gained 4 percent to ¥1,031 after Daiwa upped its rating on the materials sector to “outperform”.

In the retail sector, Fast Retailing (TYO: 9983) jumped 6.8 percent to ¥7,040 after Merrill Lynch increased its recommendation from “neutral” to “buy”.

Tokyo’s markets joined the rest of Asia’s equities markets in declines on Friday.

The Nikkei 225 was 0.73 percent lower to 17.331.17, while the Topix index dropped 1.08 percent to 1,659.48 and the Mothers market of small and mid-caps fell 0.04 percent to 881.49.

Technology-related shares were lower.

Sony (TYO: 6758; NYSE: SNE) dropped 4.3 percent to ¥5,530 after a report showing that profits were down in its joint venture with Ericsson (NAS: ERIC) to make mobile phones.

Businesses related to the manufacture of semiconductors were lower on downgrades from Goldman Sachs.

Tokyo Electron (TYO: 8035) dropped 1.2 percent to ¥7,300 after its rating was dropped from “buy” to “neutral”.

Nikon (TYO: 7731), which makes machines that put circuitry on silicon wafers, was down 8 percent to ¥3,910 on a downgrade from “neutral” to “sell”, while chip making equipment maker Dainippon Screen (TYO: 7735) fell 8.6 percent to ¥692 after being downgraded from “buy” to “sell”.

In the retail sector, Fast Retailing (TYO: 9983) was 6 percent lower to ¥7,060 after full-year results showed that net income was down by 21 percent in the year ending 31 August, less than had been predicted earlier.

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.

Tokyo’s equities markets were mixed Thursday as the Nikkei 225 gained 0.8 percent to 17,170.6 and the Topix index was up 0.9 percent to 1,683.81.

The Mothers market was down again, however, falling 0.88 percent to 776.86.

Some exporters were higher as the yen weakened.

Sony (TYO: 6758; NYSE: SNE) added 0.8 percent to ¥6,000, while camera manufacturer Canon (TYO: 7751; NYSE: CAJ) was up 1.1 percent to ¥6,490.

Citizen Watch (TYO: 7762) said that operating profit was up by 9 percent in the most recent quarter, sending shares 5.4 percent higher to ¥1,222.

In the oil sector, Inpex (TYO: 1605) added 1.9 percent to ¥1.09 million on the news that it will build a liquefied natural gas terminal in northwest Japan.

In other construction news Kinki Nippon Railway (TYO: 9041), Japan’s largest private railway, said Wednesday that it will build the tallest building in the country in Osaka, sending shares 7.3 percent higher to ¥399.

In the retail sector, Fast Retailing gained 10.5 percent to ¥7,190 on the news that Jones Apparel (NYSE: JNY) will sell its Barney’s chain of department stores to a Dubai-based group.

Fast Retailing withdrew its bid for the chain after the close of the session.

Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 was slightly lower on Friday, falling 0.03 percent to 16,979.86.

The Topix index managed a gain of 0.19 percent to 1,672.54, however, and the Mothers market was 0.53 percent higher to 834.57.

The real estate sector was higher after a report that prices for apartments in the Minato ward in central Tokyo doubled in the past year.

Tokyu Land (TYO: 8815) was up 2.24 percent to ¥1,235, while Sumitomo Realty & Development (TYO: 8830) added 4.74 percent to ¥3,760 after Sumitomo reported that its operating profit in the most recent quarter was up 50 percent.

Some exporters were also higher as carmaker Toyota Motor (TYO: 7203.T; NYSE: TM; LSE: TYT) gained 0.14 percent to ¥7,080, while in the electronics sector Sony (TYO: TYO: 6758; NYSE: SNE) was 0.99 percent higher to ¥6,110.

Fast Retailing (TYO: 9983) fell 1.5 percent to ¥6,720 on its report that its Uniqlo clothing line dropped 11.7 percent in like-for-like sales in July, which it blamed on bad weather.

Also lower was Ashai Breweries (TYO: 2502), which was down 2 percent to ¥1,676 after it said that operating profit in the most recent quarter dropped by 19 percent.

In Tokyo on Thursday the Nikkei 225 was 0.67 percent higher to 16,984.11 and the Topix index gained 0.03 percent to 1,669.33, but the Mothers market fell 0.21 percent to 830.18.

Gains were helped by a new report from Japan’s National Tax Agency which showed that land prices in the country were 8.6 percent higher last year, with a gain of 17 percent in Tokyo.

The report sent the real estate sector higher. Mitsui Fudosan (TYO: 8801; NAS: MDSFF) added 4.2 percent to ¥3,230, while Mitsubishi Estate (TYO: 8802) gained 6.3 percent to ¥3,200 and Tokyu Land (TYO: 8815) was up 7.9 percent to ¥1,208.

In addition, homebuilder Daiwa House Industry Co (TYO: 1925) was 4 percent higher to ¥1,570.

The retail sector also saw gains, with Fast Retailing (TYO: 9983) adding 4.8 percent to ¥6,820 on a successful bid for the Barneys New York chain of department stores, owned by Jones Apparel Group (NYSE: JNY).

Drug maker Chugai Pharmaceutical (TYO: 4519) gained 2.7 percent to ¥2,075 on an increased full-year projecting, while Astellas Pharma (TYO: 4503) was 3.1 percent higher to ¥5,050 on a fiscal first quarter net income gain of 52 percent.

In the electronics sector Pioneer (TYO: 6773) dropped 4.5 percent to ¥1,546 on a decline of 40 percent in sales of plasma televisions in the quarter, while Casio (TYO: 6952) fell 4.6 percent to ¥1,699 after it said quarterly operating profit was down 78 percent in the most recent quarter on poor sales of mobile phones.

Banks also saw declines, with Resona (TYO: 8308) down 3.3 percent to ¥238,000 and Mizuho (TYO: 8411) dropping 4.7 percent to ¥730,000.

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”.

The Tokyo markets also saw significant gains on Friday as the Nikkei 226 added 1.42 percent to 18,238.95 and the Topix index gained 1.14 percent to 1,783.2.

The markets were aided by a recovery in the semiconductors sector that was spurred by comments from Korean chipmaker Samsung (KS: 005930) that chip prices will go up in the third quarter of the year.

It was also helped by a report from silicon wafer maker Shin-Etsu (TYO: 4063) that profits in its fiscal first quarter were up by 28 percent on strong sales.

Shin-Etsu added 3.9 percent to ¥9,500.

Tokyo Electron (TYO: 8035) was 3.2 percent higher to ¥9,090, while chip-testing equipment maker Advantest (TYO: 6857; NYSE: ATE) added 2.1 percent to ¥5,410 and Dainippon Screen Manufacturing, which makes equipment related to semiconductor manufacture, gained 2.3 percent to ¥943.

In the electronics sector, Sony (TYO: 6758; NYSE: SNE) was 0.9 percent higher to ¥6,410, while Matsushita Electric Industrial (TYO: 6572; NYSE: MC) added 1.3 percent to ¥2,360 and Nintendo (TYO: 7974; NAS: NTDOY; FWB: NTO) gained 1.5 percent to ¥50,400 on comments from the company’s president that its Wii games console could sell more than Sony’s PlayStation 2.

Decliners on the day included Fast Retailing (TYO: 9983). The clothing retailer was 2.7 percent lower to ¥8,000 on a third decline in its full-year guidance.

Japanese markets will be closed Monday for the Maritime Day Holiday.

The Japanese equities markets were significantly higher on Friday. The Nikkei 225 added 1.3 percent to 17,057.01, while the Topix index gained 1.7 percent to 1,685.27. Export-focused sectors were largely responsible for the gains, helped out by a weaker yen.

The electronics sector was up 2 percent as a whole. Hitachi added 1.3 percent to ¥790, while Sony gained 2.4 percent to ¥5,560 and Matsushita Electric Industrial was 3.3 percent higher to ¥2,385. Matsushita, which makes the Panasonic brand of consumer electronics, had seen losses earlier in the week in connection to its announced plans to build a new factory to manufacture plasma displays.

The automobile manufacturing sector was also 2 per cent higher, with Toyota up 2.1 percent to ¥7,820.

The banking sector was 2.5 percent higher ahead of a Bank of Japan meeting to decide on interest rates, scheduled for next week. Mitsubishi UFJ gained 2.7 percent to ¥1,510,000.

Telecommunications companies had mixed results on the session. NTT DoCoMo added 0.5 percent to ¥193,000, while KDDI was 3.1 percent higher to ¥808,000 on new data that showed its share of the mobile phone market higher since October. Softbank, however, dropped 1 percent to ¥2,460.

In the retail sector, Fast Retailing dropped 13.6 percent to ¥9,600 when it reduced its full-year profit expectations.

The Tokyo equities markets were lower on Tuesday as investors worried about interest rates at home as well as the state of the US dollar and how export-focused business would be affected if it continues to decline. The Nikkei 225 fell 0.2 percent to 16,265.76. The Topix dropped even more, declining 0.6 percent to 1,598.89.

The worries of export-related sectors were illustrated by declines in the electronics sector, which dropped 0.5 percent as a whole. Sharp and Sony each fell 0.9 percent, to ¥1,910 and ¥4,510 respectively. Transport equipment fared even worse, as the sector dropped 0.7 percent.

Monday’s fall in oil prices benefited the airlines and shipping sectors. Shipping was up 2.7 percent as a whole. Nippon Yusen added 2.3 percent to ¥838, while Kawasaki Kisen gained 3 percent to ¥864 and Mitsui OSK was 3.1 percent higher to ¥1,091.

All Nippon Airways added 0.7 percent to ¥425 not only after oil prices fell but on the news that they are in merger talks with South Korea’s Asiana Airlines.

The lower oil prices, however, sent shares in Inpex 3.4 percent lower to ¥995,000.

In the retail sector, Fast Retailing was 5.7 percent higher to ¥10,910 after it said that same-store sales were up 8 percent in November over the same period last year, helped by cold weather clothing sales.