Chinese shares slid on Friday as investors digested China's underwhelming exports for December and disappointing full-year trade figures.
The Nikkei 225 Index regained 152.58 points, or 0.8%, to 19,287.28,
The Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong restored 108.36 points, or 0.5%, to 22,937.38
Electronics entertainment company Nintendo was down 5.8%, as the company unveiled the Switch console, a hand-held hybrid with a touch-pad which was priced at at $299.99, excluding sales tax. Investors had expected the price point of the new device to be about $250.
Troubled airbag maker Takata soared 16.5% or 150 points to hit its daily price limits in just thirty minutes of trading, after the Journal reported that it could plead guilty by Friday to criminal misconduct over defective air bags and pay nearly $1 billion to resolve the criminal probe.
The settlement would include a $25-million criminal fine, $125 million in victim compensation and $850 million to compensate automakers who suffered losses from the recalls
Hong Kong-listed Melco International Development surged 1.7%, after its subsidiary announced a special dividend of around $650 million U.S. and amended its dividend policy from one based on about 30% to one targeting quarterly cash dividend payment of $0.03 per ordinary share
Korean markets retreated, after the Bank of Korea left benchmark rates unchanged at 1.25% which was aligned with expectations by a poll of analysts, as it awaits for more policy clarity out of the U.S. under a Trump administration.
Samsung Group leader Jay Lee left the special prosecutor's office early on Friday after being held for more than 22 hours for questioning over bribery suspicions in a corruption scandal, involving President Park Geun-hye.
The special prosecutor's office is considering whether to seek an arrest warrant for Lee and will decide in two days, a spokesman for the investigation team said on Friday
Heavily-weighted Samsung Electronics, plunged 3.5%, Samsung C&T was up 0.4%, earlier down 1.2% and Samsung Heavy dropped 0.9%
Australian markets capsized, with their financial sub-index leading the losses, down 1.4%.
Australia's "Big Four" were dragged down more than 1%: National Australia Bank fell 1.3%, Commonwealth Bank was off 1.4% ANZ slipped 1.8% and Westpac was 1.6% lower.
Among other currency majors, the yen slipped against the U.S. dollar to trade at 114.87, compared to yesterday's lows of 113.73. The Australian dollar continued to rally to one-month high against the dollar, at $0.75 compared to levels around $0.72 seen last week.
CHINA
In Shanghai, the CSI 300 inched higher 2.29 points, or 0.1%, to 3,319.91
Chinese exports in December decreased 6.1% on-year in dollar-denominated terms, while imports rose 3.1% from the previous year.
Both figures were lower than forecasts by a poll of economists, which had expected exports to fall by 3.5% and imports to rise 2.4%.
For the full year, China's exports dropped 7.7% on-year in dollar terms and imports fell 5.5%.
In other markets
In Korea, the Kospi slid 10.35 points, or 0.5%, to 2,076.79
The Straits Times Index in Singapore recovered 32.07 points, or 1.1%, to 3,025.07
In Taiwan, the Taiex Index dropped 31.35 points, or 0.3%, to 9,378.63
In New Zealand, the NZX 50 fell 16.62 points, or 0.2%, to 7,046.97
Australia's ASX 200 fell 45.74 points, or 0.8%, at 5,721.12
