TOKYO, July 19 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks closed lower Thursday in choppy trade, with the benchmark Nikkei stock index snapping a four-day winning streak as investors selling for profits took the upper hand over buying on the back of Wall Street's overnight gains.
The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average lost 29.51 points, or 0.13 percent, from Wednesday to close the day at 22,764.68.
The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, meanwhile, edged 1.62 points, or 0.09 percent, lower to finish at 1,749.59.
Local brokers said that stocks opened mixed owing to a tug-of-war between investors buying on the back of shares gaining ground on Wall Street and others cashing in to secure profits following the market's four-day winning streak.
Trade continued to be choppy throughout, they added, with the Nikkei swinging into negative territory as other regional bourses retreated.
Energy-related issues helped cap losses and gained traction, however, market strategists here said, highlighting news that Japan may be looking to suspend crude oil imports from Iran as dictated by the United States.
By the close of play, food and retail issues comprised those that declined the most, while mining, and oil and coal product-linked issues comprised notable advancers.
Falling issues outpaced rising ones by 1,086 to 942 on the First Section, while 74 ended the day unchanged.
On the main section on Thursday, 1,206.60 million shares changed hands, rising from Wednesday's volume of 1,146.04 million shares.
The turnover on the penultimate trading day of the week came to 2,195.812 billion yen (19.43 billion U.S. dollars).