Japanese equities edged upward at the start of Monday's trading session amid the ongoing instability in the Middle East and stalled progress in US-Iran ceasefire negotiations.
The Nikkei 225 advanced to 66,363.43 shortly after the opening bell.
At home, sentiment among Japan's largest corporations showed signs of weakening. Driven by rising uncertainty over regional turmoil, businesses pulled back on capital investment during the first quarter.
According to Finance Ministry data released Monday, capital outlays excluding software dropped 3.5% quarter-on-quarter for the three-month period ending in March.
Non-manufacturers reduced their spending by 5.1% compared to the previous quarter, while manufacturers posted a more modest decline of 0.3%.