Asian markets took a breather early Friday after two straight days of stellar gains, tracking a relatively uninspiring finish on Wall Street.

The blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average (Dow Jones Global Indexes: .DJI) closed marginally below the flatline overnight, while the S&P 500 (CME:Index and Options Market: .INX) and tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQ: .IXIC) added 0.2 percent each as investors awaited the crucial nonfarm payrolls report for September.

The U.S. economy is seen adding 203,000 jobs last month, analysts polled by Reuters said.

Nikkei sheds 0.3%

Japan's Nikkei 225 (Nihon Kenzai Shinbun: .N225) headed south on the final trading day of the week, following a rally of nearly 5 percent in the past two sessions,

Japan's household spending, released before the market open, increased 2.9 percent in August from a year earlier, beating Reuters' estimates for a 0.4 percent rise. The unemployment rate for the same month rose to 3.4 percent from July, government data showed early Friday, slightly higher than the forecast for 3.3 percent.

Export-oriented stocks traded mixed amid a slightly stronger yen (Exchange: JPY=) versus the greenback. Construction equipment makers Komatsu (Tokyo Stock Exchange: 6301.T-JP) and Hitachi Construction Machinery (Tokyo Stock Exchange: 6305.T-JP) fell 3 percent each, while Suzuki Motor (Tokyo Stock Exchange: 7269.T-JP) led losses in the auto sector with a 2.4 percent slump.

Toshiba (Tokyo Stock Exchange: 6502.T-JP) dropped more than 2 percent on the back of news that it may lay off staff in its underperforming home appliances, TV and PC businesses and seek partnerships for its nuclear operations after a$1.3 billion accounting scandal. The changes were revealed at a extraordinary general meeting on Thursday.

Hang Seng jumps 1.6%

Hong Kong's benchmark index climbed at the start of trade, as it played catch-up after being shut for the National Day holiday on Thursday.

The China Enterprise Index which tracks Chinese companies, also got off to a positive start, up 1.4 percent.

Property developers were among the top performers; China Resources Land (Hong Kong Stock Exchange: 1109-HK) leaped 7.8 percent, while China Overseas Land and Investment (Hong Kong Stock Exchange: 688-HK) and China Vanke (: Z2-CN) rose 5.1 and 4.4 percent respectively.

Markets in China remain closed for the week-long National Day holiday.

ASX slips 0.2%

Australian's S&P ASX 200 (ASX: .AXJO) index succumbed to profit-taking on Friday, with financials and miners leading the slide.

Westpac (ASX: WBC-AU) was the biggest loser in the banking sector, down nearly 1 percent, while QBE Insurance (ASX: QBE-AU) and Macquarie Group (ASX: MQG-AU) sagged 0.99 and 0.5 percent respectively.

BHP Billiton (London Stock Exchange: BLT-GB) and Rio Tinto (London Stock Exchange: RIO-GB) dropped 0.2 and 1.9 percent respectively, tracking the renewed sell-off in the London-listed shares of Glencore (London Stock Exchange: GLEN-GB) on Thursday.

Retail plays will be in focus ahead of the release of August retail sales at 11.30am local time; Myer (ASX: MYR-AU) and Harvey Norman (ASX: HVN-AU) declined 0.6 and 1 percent respectively.

Kospi flat

South Korea's Kospi index was little moved in early trade, as investors digest the latest current account and inflation data for September.

The consumer price index (CPI) edged up 0.6 percent from a year earlier, a government report showed, missing market expectations for a 0.9 percent increase. The inflation reading marked the 10th straight month in which consumer prices in Asia's fourth-largest economy grew below 1 percent.

On a month-on-month basis, CPI dipped into negative territory for the first time this year, down 0.2 percent in September.

Meanwhile, South Korea's seasonally adjusted current account surplus inched down in August to $8.41 billion, from a revised $8.72 billion in July, central bank data showed.

Automakers took the spotlight following the release of industry data which showed robust domestic car sales in September. Auto sales by the local carmakers such as Hyundai Motor (: ), Kia Motors (Korea Stock Exchange: 27-KR), GM Korea, Renault Samsung and Ssangyong Motor (Korea Stock Exchange: 362-KR) totaled 128,067 units last month, up 15.7 percent from a year earlier.

Shares of Hyundai and Kia nursed modest losses in choppy trade, while Ssangyong trimmed gains to 0.1 percent.

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