Utilities also advanced as oil prices slipped. Furukawa Electric edged up 0.5% and Panasonic Electric added 0.1%.

Commodity fell. Mitsubishi Corp. dipped 5.3%, Pac Metals tumbled 5.8% and Nippon Light Metals plunged 5.1%.

Toyota Motor closed down 2.5% to 3,590 yen, Nissan dropped 4.7% to 571 yen and Hino Motors Ltd decreased 4.6% to 273 yen.

Komatsu Ltd, Kawasaki Heavy and Sumitomo Heavy dropped 5% or more.

Nikkei 200 Average Movers

Nippon Soda Co. Ltd led the decliners in the Nikkei 225 index of 7.6% followed by losses in Teijin Limited of 6.8%, in Tosoh Corporation of 6.7%, in Nikon Corporation of 6.5% and in Sumitomo Metal Mining Co Ltd of 6.1%.

Nippon Paper Group, Inc led gainers in the Nikkei 225 index with a rise of 3.3% followed by gains in Bank of Yokohama Ltd of 3.1%, in Japan Airlines Corp of 2.6% and Yokohama Rubber Co Ltd of 2.5%.