Asian stock markets were mixed Friday, with Tokyo's main index rising as traders took heart from news employment hit its lowest level since 1997, despite a slowdown in inflation and weak consumer spending. Tokyo's gains were in line with a broad rally on Wall Street the day before, after the Federal Reserve signalled that growth and jobs in the world's top economy remained robust and a raft of generally solid US corporate earnings. The benchmark Nikkei-225 index on the Tokyo Stock Exchange rose 0.39 percent, or 68.17 points, to 17,674.39 at the close, with traders buoyed by a weaker yen, which boosts Japanese exporters. Sydney gained 18.82 points, or 0.34 percent, to close at 5,588.3 while Seoul finished flat, closing down 1.76 points at 1,949.26. But in mainland China, shares closed the week nearly four percent lower, pressured by concerns about market liquidity and regulatory inspections of margin trading, dealers said. The Shanghai Composite index fell 1.59 percent, or 51.95 points, to 3,210.36 while Hong Kong declined 0.36 percent, or 88.8 points, to 24,507.05. Official data released Friday showed Japan's consumer inflation slowed for a fifth month in December to 2.5 percent year-on-year, down from 2.7 percent in November, on the back of plummeting oil prices and weaker consumer spending. Adjusted for a sales tax increase, the rate rose just 0.5 percent, well short of the Bank of Japan's 2.0 percent inflation goal. - 'Investors bullish' - The news stoked fears Tokyo is losing its war on deflation, hiking pressure on the Bank of Japan to unleash more stimulus to combat the potentially damaging downward spiral of prices. But analysts said lower energy costs could boost economic growth in the world's third-largest economy, which is a net importer of oil. News that Japan's jobless rate edged down to 3.4 percent, from 3.5 percent in November, to its lowest level since mid-1997 and a pickup in industrial output also cheered traders. "Investors feel bullish for Japanese stocks today," Shigetoshi Kamata, general manager of the research department at Tachibana Securities in Tokyo, told Bloomberg News. "Employment has gotten better and the effects from cheaper oil have yet to come." Benchmark US indices rallied on Thursday after two days of losses, following generally positive corporate earnings, including from Ford Motor and Amazon. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.31 percent, the broad-based S&P 500 added 0.95 percent, and the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index gained 0.98 percent. Oil prices were mixed in Asian trade -- a day after they plunged to their lowest level in nearly six years. US oil stockpiles are at a record high. US benchmark West Texas Intermediate for March delivery was up 12 cents at $44.65 a barrel in afternoon Asian trade, after a volatile session the day before that saw the contract plunge below $44 for the first time since March 2009. Brent crude for March was down 13 cents at $49.00 a barrel. The dollar edged down against a basket of major currencies as traders adjusted their positions ahead of fourth-quarter US gross domestic product (GDP) figures, due later Friday. The greenback slipped to 117.87 yen, down from 118.34 yen in New York. The euro strengthened to $1.1337 from $1.1317, while it weakened to 133.63 yen from 133.93 yen. Gold fetched $1,264.49 an ounce, down from $1,265.97 on Thursday. In other markets: -- Manila rose 0.95 percent, or 72.61 points, to 7,689.91. Global Ferronickel Holdings rose one percent to 3.04 pesos, while Philippine Long Distance Telephone shed 0.07 percent to 2,970 pesos. -- Wellington was down 0.27 percent, or 15.82 points, at 5,743.99. Fletcher Building was down 1.41 percent at NZ$8.38, while Contact Energy was 0.14 percent off at NZ$7.07. -- Taipei fell 0.69 percent, or 64.99 points, to 9,361.91. TSMC fell 1.74 percent to Tw$141.0, while HTC was 0.63 percent lower at Tw$157.0.

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