Asian shares were mixed Wednesday as market players waffled between hopes for recovery as economies gradually reopen and worries over the havoc wreaked by the pandemic, AP reported. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 rose nearly 0.9% in morning trading to 20,606.92 on expectations that a state of emergency still in effect for Tokyo and seven other cities and prefectures may soon end. South Korea's Kospi gained 0.3% to 1,986.24. But Australia's S&P/ASX 200 shed 0.2% to 5,548.60 and Hong Kong's Hang Seng slipped 0.2% to 24,328.95. The Shanghai Composite fell 0.2% to 2,892.49. In other dealings, benchmark U.S. crude oil fell 4 cents to $31.92 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It gained 31 cents to $31.96 a barrel on Tuesday. Brent crude oil, the international standard, rose 8 cents to $34.73 a barrel. The U.S. dollar cost 107.83 Japanese yen, up slightly from 107.71 yen on Tuesday. The euro rose to $1.0942 from $1.0926.