Asia-Pacific equities opened mostly lower, tracking overnight Wall Street weakness. Japan’s Nikkei 225 fell 0.33% and the Topix declined 0.92% amid profit-booking in tech and auto stocks. In contrast, South Korea’s Kospi rose 0.66% on its first session post-holiday, led by semiconductor gains. Broader regional sentiment stayed muted as investors awaited U.S. inflation data and Fed commentary for direction on global rate and liquidity trends.