Japan's Nikkei one of the region's best performing indexes.

Japan's benchmark stock index has closed out 2019 as one of the region's best performers. The Nikkei 225 (N225) fell 0.8 percent Monday on its last trading day of the year, but the index is still up 18 percent in 2019. That makes it the second best performer among major indexes in Asia- it falls behind China's Shanghai Composite (SHCOMP), which has jumped 22 percent.

The Shanghai market still has one remaining trading day on Tuesday to close out the year, but it is already poised for its best year since...