Japanese equities saw a cautious uptick on Friday, with the Nikkei 225 gaining 35.95 points to 37,590.44 at the opening bell.

The market's subdued rise comes as investors keenly await crucial US jobs data, which is expected to provide further indications on the Federal Reserve's future interest rate policy.

At home, April's average household spending dipped 0.1% in real terms, falling short of expectations despite a 4% nominal increase year-on-year. This reading, at 325,717 yen, was weaker than both March's 2.1% growth and the consensus forecast of 1.4%.

Meanwhile, positive momentum from Thursday's US session, fueled by news of impending trade talks between President Trump and President Xi Jinping, was somewhat tempered by a decline in Tesla shares following President Trump's remarks concerning Elon Musk's government contracts.