Nikkei 225 closes down 0.05% at 67,744.29; Topix falls 0.3%

The split between the two benchmarks is the more telling detail: the Topix's wider decline points to broad-based softness rather than pressure concentrated in the large-cap names that dominate the Nikkei. That divergence matters for anyone reading Japanese equities as a proxy for risk appetite, since a narrow index can mask weakness beneath the surface. Whether the Topix continues to lag the Nikkei in coming sessions is the open question worth tracking.