In its first trading day since North Korea claimed to have conducted a nuclear test, the main Tokyo equities markets managed to hold their own as the Nikkei 225 added 0.3 percent to 15,491.65 and the Topix index held steady at 1,634.83. However, the Mothers index of small and mid-cap stocks dropped 4 percent to 1,125.60. Domestically-focused stocks tended to not do as well as export-dependent stocks.

Companies that supply Japan’s defense force did well in the wake of uncertainty over what North Korea’s claims mean for Japan. Ishikawa Seisakusho, which makes textile-making machines and defense equipment, was 5.5 percent higher to ¥173.

One domestic sector that was able to maintain gains was real estate, which is still benefiting from the general upward trend of Japanese land prices. Mitsubishi Estate added 0.9 percent to ¥2,805, while Mitsui Fudosan gained 1.5 percent to ¥2,790. Retail, however, was down 1.6 percent as a sector, with general retailer Seven & I down 1.8 percent to ¥3,840.

With machinery orders down more than expected, the sector dropped 0.7 percent and construction machinery manufacturer Komatsu was 1.4 percent lower to ¥2,095.

The electronics sector was higher on the session. Toshiba added 2 percent to ¥721, while Sharp gained 2.5 percent to ¥2,075 and NEC Electronics was 3.6 percent higher to ¥4,040.

The Tokyo equities markets were down on Wednesday after it was revealed that North Korea had test fired several missiles, but declines were moderate. Some analysts attributed the muted reaction to the tests to the relative strength of the markets, especially after Monday’s strong Tankan report and low unemployment figures from last week. The Nikkei 225 dropped 0.7 percent to 15,523.94 and the Topix index was down 0.8 percent to 1,589.97.

Japan Airlines had losses early in the day as investors feared that an uncertain political situation would make people afraid to fly, but by the end of the day JAL had gained back the losses to close even at ¥277.

The electronics sector saw declines based on fears of what the Korea situation would do to the global economy. Sony dropped 0.8 percent to ¥5,060, while Sharp lost 1.5 percent to ¥1,809 and Matsushita Electric Industrial was down 1.7 percent to ¥2,360.

Automobile manufacturers felt the brunt of investor nervousness more strongly. Toyota fell 1.2 percent to ¥5,940, while Nissan dropped 1.9 percent to ¥1,239 and Honda was down 2.2 percent to ¥3,600.

Companies that have defense-related manufacturing among their interests saw substantial gains. Howa Machinery, which makes firearms in addition to industrial machinery, gained 6.3 percent to ¥204, while Ishikawa Seisakusho, which makes defense equipment in addition to textile machinery, added 17.2 percent to ¥204. However Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Japan’s biggest manufacturer of defense equipment, was up by only 0.4 percent to ¥496.

The Tokyo equities markets were lower on Monday as export-reliant sectors saw declines on the news that China’s central bank is cutting back on lending. The announcement spurred worries that China’s economy is slowing down. The Topix index was also hurt by declines in the banking sector.

The Nikkei 225 was 0.1 percent lower to 14,860.35, while the Topix dropped 0.5 percent to 1,527.66. Meanwhile, the Mothers index of small and mid-cap stocks closed flat at 1,462.71.

Among companies hit by the news from China were smelter Mitsubishi Materials, which dropped 3 percent to ¥458 and construction machinery manufacturer Komatsu, down 3.5 percent to ¥2,075.

The electrical machinery sector dropped 0.5 percent as a sector. Among electronics companies, Hitachi was down 1.1 percent to ¥743, while Sony dropped 1.6 percent to ¥4,860. In the semiconductor sector, Advantest lost 2.6 percent to ¥10,750.

Among banks, Mizuho lost 1.9 percent to ¥875,000, while Mitsubishi UFJ declined by 2 percent to ¥1,460,000.

Pharmaceuticals and seafood companies, however, saw gains on the day. Strong export sales in the seafood sector saw Nippon Suisan add 3.1 percent to ¥589 and Maruha gain 3.5 percent to ¥325.

The pharmaceuticals sector was up 2.3 percent as a whole. Takeda added 1.7 percent to ¥6,730, Chugai was up 3.4 percent to ¥2,280, and Daiichi Sankyo gained 6.1 percent to ¥2,890.

Ishikawa Seisakusho, which manufactures defence products in addition to textiles, added 17.7 percent on the day to ¥166 as suspicions rose that North Korea is preparing to test a missile in the near future.