TOKYO, Aug 27 ― Tokyo stocks closed lower today with investors cautiously awaiting a speech by Fed Chair Jerome Powell for clues on plans to roll back the US central bank's stimulus measures.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 index fell 0.36 per cent, or 101.15 points, to 27,641.14. Over the week, however, it gained 2.3 per cent.

The broader Topix index slipped 0.34 per cent, or 6.58 points, to 1,928.77 but rose 2.6 per cent from a week earlier.

"Investors were more cautious than expected ahead of Jackson Hole,” said Shinichi Yamamoto, a broker at Okasan Securities.

Powell is due to deliver a speech later today at an annual symposium of central bankers at Jackson Hole in the US state of Wyoming.

Although a major announcement is not anticipated, investors will analyse his address to gauge the future of the Fed's massive emergency financial support programme.

Trading is expected to remain cautious for now, as "the next focus will be US jobs data released next week,” Yamamoto said.

The dollar stood at ¥109.97 (RM4.19) in Asian afternoon trade, compared with ¥110.04.

Takeda lost 0.46 per cent to ¥3,648, falling for a fourth straight session after the drugmaker and the government said Japan would halt the use of more than one million doses of Moderna's Covid vaccine, following reports of contamination in several vials.

Takeda is in charge of sales and distribution of the Moderna shot in Japan.

Nintendo dropped 1.48 per cent to ¥51,770 and Sony lost 0.57 per cent to ¥11,230.

Toyota fell 0.49 per cent to ¥9,460 but Nissan rose 0.54 per cent to ¥569.1. ― AFP