Nikkei 225 slips 0.3%, Topix down 0.8% at morning close

The gap between the two benchmarks is the signal worth noting: a wider Topix decline points to selling pressure spreading beyond the large-cap names that dominate the Nikkei, which typically hints at broader risk reduction rather than isolated weakness in a few heavyweights. The item offers no driver, so attribution remains unresolved. Whether the broader index keeps underperforming the blue-chip gauge through the session is the open question.