Tokyo stocks closed lower on Tuesday in cautious trade ahead of US chip giant Nvidia's earnings report.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 index slipped 0.31 percent, or 122.75 points, to 38,946.93, while the broader Topix index ended down 0.30 percent, or 8.32 points, at 2,759.72.

"A wait-and-see attitude grew" ahead of Nvidia's results, Iwai Cosmo Securities said.

Nvidia, a major player in high-end processors for artificial intelligence applications, will be the last of the major US tech giants due to release its earnings on Wednesday.

"Sales by investors who had been waiting for shares they've held to rebound, as well as a rise in yields of 10-year Japanese government bonds, weighed on the market," Daiwa Securities said.

The dollar fetched 156.37 yen in Asian trade, against 156.29 yen on Monday in New York.

Among major shares in Tokyo, Kobe Steel ended down 2.23 percent at 1,955.5 yen.

Industrial robot-maker Fanuc lost 1.86 percent to 4,587 yen.

Toyota slipped 0.29 percent to 3,437 yen, while Sony Group dropped 1.42 percent to 12,880 yen.

Chip-linked shares were among winners. Advantest rallied 1.45 percent to 5,600 yen, while Tokyo Electron gained 0.80 percent to 36,630 yen.