Japan shares ended the morning session lower on Wednesday on a firmer yen and the decline in oil prices.
The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average declined 103.74 points, or 0.65 percent, from Tuesday to 15,948.31, Xinhua reported.
The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange was down 3.92 points, or 0.30 percent, to 1,287.25.