Japanese stocks declined Monday after initial gains as investors turned cautious ahead of the corporate earnings season and sold consumer electronics issues, shipping and steel stocks. The U.S. dollar rose against the yen. The Nikkei 225 index declined 93.77 points, or 0.71 percent, to finish at 13,106.18 on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, erasing early gains of more than 40 points. On Friday, the index rose 9.49 points, or 0.07 percent. After opening higher, the Nikkei slipped into negative territory, with electronics and bank issues mainly lower. Traders were expected to remain cautious ahead of Japan's corporate earnings season, which starts later this month. Uncertainty about the American economy was also weighing down exporter stocks despite the stronger dollar, traders said. "Investors are using the earnings on consumer electronics as a further profit-taking trigger for the market," said Shoji Hirakawa, equity strategist at UBS Securities in Tokyo Pioneer Corp. shares fell 3.3 percent after the company cut its earning forecast on Friday. Other technology issues, including NEC Corp., Kyocera Corp. and TDK Corp., also fell, as did shipping and steel stocks, including Nippon Steel Corp. and JFE Holdings Inc. The broader TOPIX, which includes all issues on the exchange's first section, shed 8.87 points, or 0.64 percent, to 1,376.50. The TOPIX added 1.42 points, or 0.10 percent, Friday. First-section volume fell to 2.023 billion shares, from Friday's 2.202 billion shares. Decliners beat advancers 1,060 to 503, with 97 issues unchanged. In currency trading, the U.S. dollar bought 115.70 yen on the Tokyo foreign exchange market by late afternoon Monday, up 0.56 yen from late Friday but below the 115.91 yen it bought later that day in New York. The euro fell to $1.1937 from $1.2054 late Friday. The yield on the 10-year Japanese government bond fell to 1.4950 from Friday's close of 1.5050. Its price rose 0.04 to 100.04.