TOKYO, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- Japan's key stock index ended a four-day winning streak on Friday amid weak investor sentiment following a drop in U.S. stock markets overnight.

The benchmark Nikkei stock index, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average, closed the day at 39,091.17, down 304.43 points, or 0.77 percent, from the previous day.

The index's decline briefly exceeded 400 points during the session as selling in stock index futures by overseas short-term traders weighed on the market. Pre-emptive selling ahead of the release of U.S. employment data also contributed to the decline.

In the afternoon, the Nikkei's losses deepened, briefly falling below the psychological threshold of 39,000 points. The movement coincided with a stronger yen, which rebounded to the upper 149-yen range against the dollar, partly due to risk aversion linked to political developments in South Korea.

Other key indices also declined. The broader Topix fell 15.02 points, or 0.55 percent, to 2,727.22.

On the Tokyo Stock Exchange's Prime section, declining stocks outnumbered advancing ones, with 905 stocks down, 677 up, and 62 unchanged. Enditem

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