The yield on the No. 303, 1.4 percent issue, a key indicator of long- term interest rates, ended morning interdealer trading down 0.020 percentage point from Wednesday's close to 1.405 percent.
The price of the key December futures contract for 10-year bonds gained 0.18 point to 138.04 on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
Bond trade was lackluster due to caution amid a five-year bond auction Thursday, traders said.