Tokyo stocks were nearly flat Tuesday morning in relatively thin trading amid a lack of fresh incentives, with some small-cap shares down on selling by retail investors.
The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average fell 12.44 points, or 0.05 percent, from Monday to 27,519.50. The broader Topix index was up 1.42 points, or 0.07 percent, at 2,001.13.
Decliners were led by air transportation, land transportation and electric appliance issues, while gainers included mining, nonferrous metals, and oil and coal products.
