Nikkei ended 0.26 percent lower on Thursday. The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average closed down 36.63 points from Wednesday at 14,018.93. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange was down 3.10 points, or 0.26 percent, at 1,170.71. Decliners included tire, steel and glass makers while gainers included consumer finance, warehouse and securities firms. The turnover was about 1,926.4 billion yen (about 19.13 billion U.S. dollars).