Most of the investors retreated to the sidelines ahead of U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell's speech for clues on the direction of monetary policy.
At closing bell, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average index declined 58.85 points, or 0.21%, to 27,968.99. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange was down 7.40 points, or 0.37%, to 1,985.57.
Total 23 of 33 TSE sectors declined, with Electric Power & Gas, Retail Trade, Precision Instruments, Mining, Services, and Securities & Commodities Futures issues being notable losers. On the other side, shares of Marine Transportation, Transportation Equipment, and Iron & Steel issues were notable gainers.
Among individual stocks, Eisai shares climbed nearly 4% after the pharmaceutical company presented the full results of a trial of its Alzheimer's drug.
Nidec shares declined 1%, after a report said the motor maker will acquire Pama, an Italian producer of machine tools, in a deal estimated to be worth 15 billion yen ($108 million).
ECONOMIC NEWS: Industrial production in Japan was down a seasonally adjusted 2.6% on month in October, following the 1.7% drop in September, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said on Wednesday. On a yearly basis, industrial production rose 3.7%, slowing from 9.6% in the previous month.
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CURRENCY NEWS: The dollar fetched 138.47 yen in Asian trade, against 138.67 yen in New York late Tuesday.
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