[TOKYO] Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei index closed lower on Friday, ending the year with its first annual loss since 2012, as negative factors including US-China trade tensions weighed on the market.

The bellwether index lost 12.1 per cent from a year earlier to end at 20,014.77 in roller-coaster trade, while the broader Topix index was down 17.8 per cent in 2018 at 1,494.09.

On Friday alone, the Nikkei lost 0.31 per cent and the Topix fell 0.50 per cent as investors cashed in ahead of the New Year holidays.

AFP