Tokyo stocks traded in a narrow range on Thursday morning, with the Nikkei Stock Average ending the session at 9,470.52, up 0.11% or 11.78 points from the previous day. Investors refrained from buying on concerns over North Korea's plans to launch a long-range ballistic missile, which the country has described as a satellite launch. Market conditions improved to a certain extent, as foreign markets were bullish overnight amid easing concerns over the European sovereign debt crisis and the weakening of the yen, according to (Nikkei) website. Blue chips traded slightly lower, however, with other stocks seesawing in general.