 "Nikkei falls from 4-week high on profit-taking")
Japan's Nikkei average fell on Wednesday after hitting a four-week closing high the previous day, as investors took profits after weak US economic data soured sentiment.
The Nikkei ended 0.5% lower at 14,970.97. The broader Topix index slipped 0.7% to 1,225.35, with only 1.9 billion shares changing hands, the smallest volume since mid-December.
The JPX-Nikkei Index 400, an index launched this year comprising firms with high return on equity and strong corporate governance, dropped 0.7% to 11,081.54.