Japanese stocks edged lower at Friday's opening as fresh inflation data reinforced expectations for another interest rate increase from the Bank of Japan as early as next month.
The Nikkei 225 was little changed at 66,104.49 at the start of the session.
In Tokyo, core consumer prices, which exclude fresh food, rose 1.8% in August from a year earlier, according to government data released Friday.
This marks the third consecutive monthly acceleration, following July's 1.7% reading.
Elsewhere, attention turns to a scheduled speech by Federal Reserve's Kevin Warsh, with investors seeking signals on how U.S. policymakers plan to navigate sticky inflation and softening economic growth.