Tokyo stocks edged down 0.25 percent Thursday, halting a five-day winning streak.
The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average was down 45.48 points, from Wednesday to 17,808.75.
The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange shed 4.76 points, or 0.33 percent, to 1,421. 26.
Major decliners included air transport, utility and steel issues.
The turnover was 1,384.2 billion yen, the lowest level in four months, as plenty of investors were away for Christmas.