The Nikkei share average dropped 0.2 percent to 17,103.53.
The broader Topix fell 0.3 percent to 1,377.60 and the JPX-Nikkei Index 400 declined 0.3 percent to12,446.45.
Hong Kong stocks drifted aimlessly and closed flat on Tuesday, ahead of a speech by Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen, after trading resumed following a four-day Easter weekend.
The Hang Seng index edged lower in morning trading but ended the session up 0.1 percent at20,366.30 points. The Hong Kong China Enterprises Index rose 0.3 percent.
China's main stock indexes fell more than 1 percent on Tuesday to their lowest levels in nearly two weeks, as gains from a rally of more than 10 percent off February lows continued to dwindle with no stimulus in sight.
Trading volumes remained thin, suggesting that money is not flowing into equities, despite investors recently cutting exposure to bonds, and the imposition of real estate curbs in major cities such as Shanghai and Shenzhen.
The blue-chip CSI300 index fell 1.1 percent, to 3,135.41, while the Shanghai Composite Index lost 1.3percent, to 2,919.83 points.
Reference: Reuters
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