Japan’s Nikkei index ended slightly lower, declining around 51 points after investors booked profits in large-cap tech names that have led strong index momentum in recent weeks. Market strategists indicate traders are temporarily trimming risk ahead of upcoming global policy cues and U.S. macro signalling linked to the next Federal Reserve communication window. Meanwhile, Japan’s domestic manufacturing data held steady, while fresh overseas fund flow trends remained muted across export categories. Equity research desks argue that near-term volatility should be expected across high beta Asian equity markets as capital remains defensive until clearer global rate alignment emerges.