Nikkei 225 slips 0.05% at morning close, Topix gains 0.2%

The divergence matters more than the headline move: a marginally lower Nikkei against a firmer Topix points to rotation beneath the surface rather than broad risk-off sentiment, with the blue-chip gauge's heavy weighting doing the work. The split is a reminder that Japan's headline indices can tell opposite stories on the same morning, which complicates any single read on domestic risk appetite. Whether the Topix's relative firmness persists through the session, or the blue-chip drag simply reflects index composition, is the open question worth tracking.