Asian markets mostly fell on Thursday following two days of gains, while increasing optimism over the recovery in the US economy boosted the dollar.
Tokyo gained 0.72 percent, or 72.76 points, to 10,123.28, Sydney shed 0.22 percent, or 9.4 points, to 4,277.8 and Seoul was flat, edging down 1.32 points to 2,043.76.
In afternoon trade Hong Kong fell 0.31 percent and Shanghai was 0.54 percent lower.
Investors took a breather after recent gains that were fuelled by Greece's successful debt swap with private creditors last week, strong US jobs data and upbeat comments from the Federal Reserve on US economy.
Tokyo exporters were lifted by the weakening yen, which fell to a fresh 11-month low against the dollar after the Fed doused any chance of monetary easing in the near term.
Adding to selling pressure on the yen was the Bank of Japan's decision last month to pump more cash into the country's stuttering economy.
The dollar rose to 84.18 yen in Tokyo -- its highest since April -- before easing slightly to 84.01. It sat at 83.68 yen late Wednesday in New York.
The the euro advanced to 109.41 yen compared with 109.08 yen but dipped to $1.3026, compared with $1.3032 and in New York.
"The US dollar in particular has been buoyed by higher US bond yields," Mitul Kotecha, strategist at French bank Credit Agricole, said in a note.
"Risk measures continue to improve, suggesting that the overall tone to risk assets will remain positive," he said, according to Dow Jones Newswires.
The dollar may climb as high as 84.50 yen during the session, backed by rising US Treasury yields and an improving outlook for the US economy, said Masashi Murata, senior currency strategist at investment bank Brown Brothers Harriman in Tokyo.
Shanghai and Hong Kong shares remained weak after Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said property prices were still too high in the country and that tightening measures aimed at bringing them down were unlikely to be eased in the near term.
Oil prices were mixed in Asian trade Thursday as concerns over tensions between the West and Iran were tempered by rising stockpiles in the United States.
New York's main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in April was up 38 cents to $105.81 while Brent North Sea crude for April delivery shed four cents to $124.93 in the afternoon.
Gold was at $1,643.75 an ounce at 0610 GMT, compared with $1,659.39 late Wednesday.
In other markets:
-- Taipei was flat, dipping 3.64 points to 8,121.62.
Hon Hai was 0.48 percent higher at Tw$104.0 while AU Optronics fell 0.98 percent to Tw$15.2.
-- Wellington ended 0.99 percent, or 34.74 points, higher at 3,533.73.
Contact Energy rose 0.20 percent to NZ$5.01, Telecom advanced 2.22 percent to NZ$2.53 and Air New Zealand put on 1.15 percent to NZ$0.88.
