Tokyo’s markets saw declines on Tuesday.

The Nikkei 225 fell 0.63 percent to 16,420.47 and the Topix index dropped 0.7 percent to 1,596.74, while the Mothers market was 0.1 percent lower to 733.41.

The utilities sector was lower after Kansai Electric Power (TYO: 9503) had halt power generation at a nuclear facility in western Japan due to a leak of radioactivity inside the plant.

Kansai dropped 2 percent to ¥2,690, while Tokyo Electric Power (TYO: 9501) dropped 1.6 percent to ¥3,030 on the news.

Clothing retailer Fast Retailing (TYO: 9983) was 3.6 percent lower to ¥6,490 on its declaration that it will continue to pursue acquisitions after recently failing to buy Barney’s New York.

The real estate sector was down 1.8 percent as a whole on the news that capital spending was down by 47 percent in the sector from the same quarter last year.

Mitsubishi Estate (TYO: 8802) dropped 1 percent to ¥3,010, while Mitsui Fudosan (TYO: 8801; NAS: MDSFF) was down 2.7 percent to ¥2,900.

House builder Sekisui House (TYO: 1928; OTC: SKHSY) fell 3.7 percent to ¥1,425.

In the transport sector, Kawasaki Kisen (TYO: 9107) dropped 0.78 percent to ¥1,535 and Mitsui OSK Lines (TYO: 9104) was down 1.1 percent to ¥1,725 after the price of dry freight rose again.

In Tokyo on Wednesday both the Nikkei 225 and the Topix index closed at their lowest level this year.

The Nikkei was down 2.2 percent to 16,475.61, while the Topix dropped 2.6 percent to 1,594.15.

The Mothers market fell 2.66 percent to 751.69.

While Japan’s finance minister said that the problems in the US subprime market “seems to have past its peak”, banks were still lower after Mitsubishi UFJ (TYO: 8306; NYSE: MTU) and Sumitomo Mitsui (TYO: 8316) reported losses involving mortgage-related securities.

Mitsubishi UFJ was 5.3 percent lower to ¥1.08 million after it said its unrealized subprime-related losses amounted to ¥5 billion, while Sumitomo Mitsui was down 5.9 percent to ¥920,000 after reporting that it had lost “billions” of yen in the quarter ending 30 June after it sold ¥350 billion in mortgage-backed securities.

In addition, Orix Corp (TYO: 8591), Japan’s largest non-bank lender dropped 6.6 percent to ¥23,340 even though the company’s president said that it is not exposed to the US subprime market.

Exporters were hurt by a strengthening yen.

Honda Motor (TYO: 7267; NYSE: HMC) was down 2,7 percent to ¥3,920, while Toyota Motor (TYO: 7203.T; NYSE: TM; LSE: TYT) fell 3 percent to ¥6,850.

Construction equipment manufacturer Komatsu (TYO: 6301) dropped 3.9 percent to ¥3,410.

In the electronics sector, Sony (TYO: 6758; NYSE: SNE) was 2.7 percent lower to ¥5,520, while Matsushita (TYO: 6572; NYSE: MC) was down 5 percent to ¥2,015 after mobile phone maker Nokia (OMX: NOK1V; NYSE: NOK; FWB: NOA3) said it would replace Matsushita-manufactured batteries that ran a risk of overheating during recharging.

In the retail sector, Seiyu Ltd (TYO: 8268) - Wal-Mart’s Japanese unit - was 10 percent lower to ¥114 after saying it will post its fifth annual loss in a row, likely in the neighborhood of ¥5.9 billion.

Tokyo Electric Power (TYO; 9501) fell 2.9 percent to ¥3,030 even though the International Atomic Energy Agency reported that an inspection showed that damages from last month’s earthquake looked to be less than had been anticipated.

In Tokyo, the Nikkei was 0.2 percent higher on Tuesday to 18,002, while the Topix index advanced 0.5 percent to 1,765.99 and the Mothers market of small and mid-caps jumped 1.98 percent to 852.21.

Tokyo Electric Power (TYO: 9501) was higher after several sessions of losses after last week’s earthquake damaged one of its nuclear power plants, adding 3.4 percent to ¥3,340.

Also managing a comeback was the telecommunications sector, which had been lower after two mobile operators announced price cuts.

KDDI (TYO: 9433) had the best rebound in the sector, gaining 4.8 percent to ¥870,000 on a 15.6 gain in operating profits in the quarter ending in June.

Elsewhere in the sector, NTT DoCoMo (TYO: 9437) was 1.1 percent higher to ¥178,000 and Softbank (TYO: 9984) was up ¥2,620.

The banking sector also saw gains.

Mitsubishi UFJ (TYO: 8306; NYSE: MTU) was 0.77 percent higher to ¥1,310,000, while Mizuho Financial (TYO: 8411; NYSE: MFG) gained 2.1 percent to ¥857,000 and Resona Holdings (TYO; 8308) added 4.1 percent to ¥280,000.

The Tokyo equities markets were lower on Monday as the Nikkei 225 and the Topix index each dropped 1.1 percent, to 17,963.64 and 1,757.29 respectively.

The declines came after losses in New York on Friday and on polls over the weekend that showed Japan’s ruling party could see a defeat in next Sunday’s elections for the Upper House of its parliament.

Some analysts believe that a major defeat could mean a resignation from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that could send both equities and the yen lower, at least temporarily.

Tokyo Electric Power (TYO: 9501) saw another loss, falling 2.7 percent to ¥3,230 in the wake of last week’s earthquake.

Also seeing further losses was the telecommunications sector, after some major mobile phone providers cut prices last week.

KDDI (TYO: 9433) was 2.7 percent lower to ¥830,000, while NTT DoCoMo (TYO: 9437) dropped 2.8 percent to ¥176,000.

Softbank (TYO: 9984), which did not announce a price cut, was down 3.4 percent to ¥2,575.

The construction machinery sector was lower after a worse-than-expected quarterly report from US company Caterpillar (NSYE: CAT).

Hitachi Construction Machinery (TYO: 6305) fell 1.2 percent to ¥4,980, while Komatsu (TYO: 6301) dropped 1.3 percent to ¥3,940.

Tokyo’s equities markets were higher on Thursday, as the Nikkei 225 added 0.6 percent to 18,116.57 and the Topix index gained 0.5 percent to 1,768.

Tokyo Electric Power (TYO: 9501) continued to decline after reports of earthquake damage to one of its nuclear power plants.

It dropped another 5.6 percent to ¥3,400 after Nomura Securities (TYO: 8604; NYSE: NMR; SGX; N33) reduced its recommendation from “neutral” to “reduce”.

The real estate sector also saw declines, with Mitsubishi Estate (TYO: 8802) down 0.9 percent to ¥3,180 and NTT Urban Development (TYO: 8933) falling 1.4 percent to ¥217,000.

The consumer finance sector saw advances after it was reported that Promise (TYO: 8574) and Sanyo Shinpan Finance (TYO: 8573) are about to agree to a merger.

Trade in both companies was halted after the reports, but Promise had added 5.9 percent to ¥3,790 and Sanyo Shinpan was 12.2 percent higher to ¥3,600 before that occurred.

Elsewhere in the sector, Takefuji (TYO: 8564) gained 7.7 percent to ¥4,404 and Aiful (TYO: 8515) was up 11.2 percent to ¥3,480.

The steel sector was up in anticipation of the release of JFE Holdings’ (TYO:5411) quarterly results, due at the end of the month.

JFE added 4.4 percent to ¥8,270, while Nippon Steel (TYL: 5401) was 4.7 percent higher to ¥919.

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’s equities markets declined Monday as Monday’s earthquake affected insurance and utilities shares.

The Nikkei 225 dropped 0.1 percent to 18,217.27, while the Topix index was 0.3 percent lower to 1,778.11.

Non-life insurers took a hit in expectation of large claims for property damage in the earthquake areas.

Millea Holdings (TYO: 8766; NAS: MLEA) fell 1.7 percent to ¥5,110, while Sompo Japan Insurance (TYO: 8755) was 2.3 percent lower to ¥1,474.

Also seeing declines after the earthquake was Tokyo Electric Power (TYO: 9501), which dropped 1.1 percent to ¥3,570 on reports that the quake had damaged one of its nuclear plants.

Carmakers were lower as well on a stronger yen.

Toyota Motor (TYO: 7203.T; NYSE: TM; LSE: TYT) was 1.6 percent lower to ¥7,560.

Shipping companies were higher on the session on positive broker comment, with Mitsui OSK Lines (TYO: 9104) was 2.6 percent higher to ¥1,828.

Two trading companies saw record highs in their share prices during the session.

Mitsui & Co (TYO: 8031; NAS: MITSY) gained 3 percent to close at ¥2,880, while Marubeni was 3.3 percent higher to ¥1,208.

Weakness in the yen helped the Tokyo equities markets to make gains on Thursday. However, advances were limited on the Nikkei because of a scandal in the consumer finance sector. The Nikkei 225 closed at 17,047.83, a gain of 0.2 percent, while the Topix index added 0.3 percent to 1,671.30.

Export-focused sectors were especially helped by the weak yen. Toyota added 1.7 percent to ¥7,680, while construction equipment manufacturer Komatsu gained 3.4 percent to ¥2,410.

The utilities sector also saw gains again, as the sector has gained 17.5 percent since the end of September on high dividend payments to shareholders. Tokyo Electric Power was 1 percent higher to ¥3,910 and Kansai Electric Power was up 1.6 percent to ¥3,260.

The steel sector advanced on positive comments from Merrill Lynch and on the possibility of further consolidation in the sector worldwide. Nippon Steel gained 0.5 percent to ¥601 on rumors that it will gain control of Brazilian steel company Usiminas. Meanwhile, Sumitomo Metal Industries added 4.9 percent to ¥493 on a Merrill Lynch upgrade from “neutral” to “buy”.

Consumer finance companies were affected by a 12-day business suspension of Sanyo Shinpan for improper practices. Shinpan dropped 5.5 percent to ¥3,260, while Aiful fell 5.1 percent to ¥3,360 and Credit Saison was 2.7 percent lower to ¥4,020.

In the securities sector, Nikko Cordial began a comeback after being fined for accounting irregularities, adding 7.1 percent to ¥1,237.

The Nikkei 225 managed to add 0.3 percent to 16,962.11 on Monday, its highest close in seven months, and the Topix index gained 0.5 percent to 1,665.32 on Monday as investors waited for Tuesday’s decision by the Bank of Japan on interest rates.

In the utilities sector, Tokyo Electric Power was 2.1 percent higher to ¥3,800 as investors used it as a safe place to put their money while they wait to see what will happen with interest rates. Utilities are seen as safe because demand isn’t tied to how the rest of the economy is performing.

Export-focused stocks also saw gains on the day after good news on consumer prices emerged from the United States on Friday. In the automobile manufacturing sector, Honda added 2.6 percent to ¥4,360. Meanwhile, Sony gained 2.2 percent to ¥5,160.

Toshiba was up 1.3 percent to ¥780 on the news that its Westinghouse division has been awarded a contract to build four nuclear reactors in China.

Loser on the session included Japan Tobacco, which dropped 5.2 percent to ¥566,000 after last weeks gains after it said it will bid for UK tobacco company Gallaher. Also dropping was securities company Nikko Cordial, which fell 4.8 percent to ¥1,419 after weekend reports that the Japanese Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission is looking at the company for possible manipulation of its earnings in its fiscal year 2004.

The Nikkei 225 and the Topix index both saw gains on Wednesday as export-focused stocks were up, but gains were limited by declines in utilities and in the consumer finance sector. The Nikkei added 0.3 percent to 16,692.93, while the Topix gained 0.2 percent to 1,639.19. Meanwhile, the Mothers index of small and mid-cap stocks dropped 1.1 percent to 1,125.85.

In the retail sector, department stores saw gains but weren’t able to lift the sector as a whole. Takashimaya was 1.1 percent higher to ¥1,717, while Isetan ended 1.6 percent higher to ¥2,150. On the other hand, Seven & I dropped 0.6 percent to ¥3,630.

Exporters that saw gains included Canon, which added 1.1 percent to ¥6,540. In the electronics sector, Sony was 1.9 percent higher to ¥4,880. Sharp, however, dropped 1.5 percent to ¥2,040 on the news that it is being investigated for price fixing of liquid crystal displays.

Utilities were down on profit-taking. Tokyo Electric Power fell 0.5 percent to ¥3,720, while Kansai Electric Power and Tohoku Electric Power each dropped 0.7 percent to ¥3,050 and ¥2,895 respectively.

The consumer finance sector declined after parliament passed a bill that will cut the maximum amount of interest the lenders can charger their customers. Takefuji was 1.1 percent lower to ¥4,470, while Aiful fell 1.6 percent to ¥3,610 and Credit Saison dropped 1.9 percent to ¥4,100.