By Michael Kitchen
LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Japanese stocks finished lower in Wednesday trade, with concerns about the pace of post-earthquake resumption for production and the specter of power shortages ahead weighing on many shares. The benchmark Nikkei Stock Average (JP:NI225 9,584, -31.18, -0.32%) ended 0.3% down at 9,584.37, while the Topix closed 0.9% lower at 839.61. Techs and auto makers were among the major decliners, with Renesas Electronics Corp. (JP:6723 622.00, -31.00, -4.75%) (RNECY 3.81, -0.43, -10.14%) tumbling 4.8%, Sharp Corp. (JP:6753 794.00, -20.00, -2.46%) (SHCAF 9.80, +0.09, +0.94%) giving up 2.5%, Honda Motor Co. (JP:7267 2,895, -39.00, -1.33%) (HMC 34.78, -1.06, -2.96%) losing 1.3%, and Mitsubishi Motors Corp. (JP:7211 96.00, -2.00, -2.04%) (MMTOF 1.18, -0.08, -6.35%) falling 2%. But Toyota Motor Corp. (JP:7203 3,265, +5.00, +0.15%) (TM 77.63, -1.85, -2.33%) managed to rise 0.2% despite Moody's warning it may downgrade the company's credit ratings. Financials also took a hit amid uncertainty over the economic cost of the catastrophic March 11 earthquake and tsunami, with Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group Inc. (JP:8306 372.00, -10.00, -2.62%) (MTU 4.51, -0.06, -1.31%) ending 2.6% lower, and Nomura Holdings Inc. (JP:8604 408.00, -13.00, -3.09%) (NRSCF 5.16, -0.18, -3.28%) diving 3.1%. And shares of Tokyo Electric Power Co. (JP:9501 337.00, -25.00, -6.91%) (TKECF 4.30, -1.20, -21.82%) , operator of the critically damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, marked its lowest close on record after falling 6.9% during the session.
