TOKYO (Bloomberg) - Apple Inc.'s iPod has recaptured its top share of Japan's digital music player market from Sony Corp.'s Walkman last week, helped by new models, according to Tokyo-based electronics research firm BCN Inc.

The Cupertino, California-based company's market share in Japan climbed to 58 percent in the week ended September 13, exceeding Sony's 32.1 percent, the researcher said on its website yesterday. Sony had 47.4 percent the previous week, compared with Apple's 37.1 percent, BCN said.

Apple on September 9 introduced a new lineup of iPods, adding a video camera, FM radio and a pedometer to iPod Nano. The company also cut the prices of the 8-gigabyte iPod Touch to $199 and priced a 32-gigabyte model at $299, while a 64-gigabyte version will sell at $399.

Jill Tan, a Hong Kong-based spokeswoman at Apple, declined to comment. Yuki Kobayashi, a Tokyo-based spokeswoman at Sony, also declined to comment.

Tokyo-based Sony, captured the top share of Japan's market in the week ended August 30 for the first time in four years, BCN said on September 2. Sony had 43 percent of the market in the period, compared with Apple's 42.1 percent, the researcher said at the time.