-- Japanese equities closed lower on Tuesday after the Bank of Japan held its policy rate at 0.75% and flagged heightened uncertainty around the economic outlook.
The Nikkei 225 fell 1.02%, or 619.90 points, to close at 59,917.46.
The decision came with dissent from three board members who called for a rate increase, reinforcing expectations of a potential policy shift. Governor Kazuo Ueda said the likelihood of achieving the bank's forecasts has weakened due to uncertainty tied to the Middle East conflict.
He said risks are skewed both ways, with downside pressure on growth and upside risks to inflation, particularly in fiscal 2026, making it difficult to assess the duration and impact on the economy and prices.
In other economic news, Japan's unemployment rate rose to 2.7% in March from 2.6%, as the number of employed fell to 68.15 million and jobless increased to 1.86 million.
On the corporate front, Shares of Denso (TYO:6902) fell about 3% after it withdrew its proposal to acquire a stake in ROHM (TYO:6963), citing lack of support and limited value upside.
Shares of Nissan Motor (TYO:7201) rose about 4% after it forecast a narrower fiscal 2025 loss, with loss per share seen at 157.42 yen and net loss at 550 billion yen alongside slightly higher sales.
Shares of Idemitsu Kosan (TYO:5019) gained about 3% after a report said it will supply Vietnam with around 4 million barrels of crude via routes bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.