Asian markets edge higher as North Sea oil prices fall 1%

Trading is tentative on the major Asian indexes on Thursday morning. At lunchtime, Tokyo's Nikkei 225 is up 0.1 percent, while the broader Topix is up 0.6 percent.

The mood is similar in South Korea, where the Kospi is up 0.2 percent.

In China, the Shenzhen Stock Exchange is up 0.1 percent, while Shanghai is up 0.2 percent. Hong Kong's Hang Seng stands out, falling 0.9 percent.

January North Sea oil futures are down about 1 percent at $91.78 per barrel, according to CNBC.