Japan reported weaker-than-expected growth. The economy rebounded to 0.1 percent, but that was lower than many experts had expected, CNBC reports.
However, there were no major repercussions on the Japanese stock markets. The Nikkei 225 was unchanged after initial trading, while the broader Topix fell 0.7 percent.
The Hong Kong-based Hang Seng was up 0.6 percent at the midday close.
Both the South Korean Kospi and the indices in Mainland China were closed due to the New Year.
