Japanese stocks declined Wednesday morning as investors sold shares, locking in profits after recent gains. The benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average lost 0.84 per cent, or 71.26 points, to trade at 8,406.56 by the end of the morning session at 11:30 am (0230 GMT), after surging 2.3 per cent Tuesday. The broader Topix index fell 0.6 per cent, or 4.4 points, to 725.28, according to a report of DPA.