Question on hedging strategies for $NIKKEI exposure

Hey everyone, still relatively new to trading Asian markets, specifically $NIKKEI. I'm finding it quite volatile, and while I have a decent long-term outlook, the short-term swings are eating into my capital more than I'd like. I've heard some talk about using options or even $JPY pairs to hedge, but I'm not entirely clear on the mechanics or the common pitfalls. For those of you who regularly trade Nikkei, what are some practical hedging strategies you employ, especially for protecting against unexpected downside without completely derisking?