Tokyo  - Japan shares were lackluster in early morning trading Wednesday, dragged down by banking and real estate stocks.

The Nikkei 225 index lost 0.1 per cent by mid-morning, to 9,716.35 points. The broader Topix index fell 0.9 per cent to 849.24

Japan Airlines Corp shed 4.9 per cent to 97 yen, it lowest share price since being relisted in 2002, after the country's transport minister suggested the struggling carrier could end up in court-led bankruptcy. (dpa)