Japan's Nikkei ends lower ahead of US, local central bank meetings

Japan's Nikkei share average fell on Monday, tracking Wall Street's declines in the previous session and as caution ahead of central bank meetings domestically and in the United States hurt risk appetite. The Nikkei closed 0.95% lower at 30,696.96, while the broader Topix slipped 1.04% to 2,231.24.

"The Nikkei was dragged down by the losses in the Dow Jones over the weekend. And investors hesitated to buy stocks as they awaited policy decisions at central bank meetings in the U.S. and Japan," said Shoichi Arisawa, general manager of the investment research department at IwaiCosmo Securities.