Japan's Nikkei share average slipped on Wednesday as the yen strengthened against the dollar after downbeat U.S. data, and investors locked in gains ahead of a Japanese holiday.
The Nikkei closed down 0.2 percent at 16,735.12. After ending the morning session down 0.3 percent, it briefly turned positive in afternoon trade before giving up its gains.
China shares dipped on Wednesday, with property shares falling sharply as investors took profits from six days of gains.
The blue-chip CSI300 Index fell 0.4 percent to 3,243.34 points, while the Shanghai Composite Index lost 0.2 percent to 3,018.75 points.
Hong Kong stocks touched to a fresh eight-month high on Wednesday, before slipping back, as yield-hungry investors continued to hunt for bargains.
The Hang Seng index ended the day up 0.1 percent to 22,492.43 points. The index has gained about 9 percent over the past month.
Reference: Reuters
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