Nikkei slips on start-ups, foreigner selling

TOKYO, May 30 (Reuters) The Nikkei average slipped 0.22 percent on Tuesday as some tech heavyweights such as Kyocera Corp. lost ground, hurt by losses on small-cap markets and worries that foreign investors are pulling away from Japanese equities.

Among the morning's gainers, Toyo Engineering Corp. jumped after it said it had received an order to help build an ethylene plant in India, while NEC Corp. gained after investors warmed to the company's new strategy, which may include cooperation in the cellphone business with the maker of Panasonic products.

The Nikkei finished the morning down 34.95 points at 15,880.73.

The broader TOPIX index was down 0.05 percent at 1,615.42.

The Mothers market for start-ups finished down 1.48 percent at 1,429.38, its lowest since November 2004.

REUTERS VJ BST802