Picture used for illustrative purpose. File

Tokyo's key Nikkei index closed lower in cautious trade Thursday ahead of the Jackson Hole conference of global financial authorities and Friday's press conference by Japan's prime minister.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 index fell 0.35 per cent, or 82.00 points, to end at 23,208.86, while the broader Topix index lost 0.53 per cent, or 8.59 points, to 1,615.89.

Trade was "subdued" and "seemingly dominated by investors' wait-and-see attitudes ahead of US Federal Reserve Chair (Jerome) Powell's speech at the Jackson Hole conference", Toshiyuki Kanayama, senior market analyst at Monex, said in a commentary.

On Friday, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is expected to hold a press conference to discuss his health after two recent sets of medical checks that fuelled growing speculation about his wellbeing. 

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Abe cut short his first term in office in part because of health problems linked to ulcerative colitis, an ailment he said he had overcome when he returned to power in 2012.

In Tokyo trading, automakers were lower with Toyota slipping 0.70 percent to 7,073 yen, Honda losing 0.68 percent to 2,692 yen and Nissan dropping 2.22 percent to 422.2 yen.

SoftBank Group dipped 0.33 percent to 6,618 yen while Uniqlo casual wear operator Fast Retailing fell 0.31 percent to 63,340 yen.

The dollar fetched 106.02 yen in Asian trade, against 105.97 yen in New York late Wednesday.

Agence France Presse