The Nikkei stock average closed a fraction below 13,000 Friday, the last trading day of the fiscal year, as sharp morning advances prompted profit-taking in the afternoon.
The benchmark Nikkei index slipped 72.66 points, or 0.56 percent, to close at 12,999.70 after rising to 13,457.90 in the morning, up 385.54 points.
The broader Topix index of all first-section issues dropped 7.93 points, or 0.62 percent, to 1,277.27, bringing the aggregate value to 342 trillion yen, down roughly 100 trillion yen from a year earlier.