Around the World's Markets: Tokyo

STOCKS PULLED back after Monday's gains in the wake of the Bank of Japan's Tankan survey of business confidence, with the benchmark Nikkei 225 closing down 84 points at 18,051.

Profit taking was evident in blue chip stocks such as computer maker Fujitsu and phone company NTT, which fell 2.6 per cent. Gulliver International, a used-car dealer, climbed nearly 14 per cent after Softbank said one of its ventures had agreed to sell second-hand cars over the Internet with Gulliver.