The Nikkei 225 fell sharply by more than ¥1,500 at one point after the holiday break, and was trading about ¥400 lower at the start of trading. The decline subsequently widened, with the index briefly falling below the ¥67,000 level.
The Nikkei 225 fell after the 3-day holiday weekend, standing about ¥400 lower at the start of trading and continuing to decline, with the loss temporarily widening during the session.
The Nikkei 225 at one point recorded a decline of more than ¥1,500 from the previous day's close, falling below the ¥67,000 level for the first time in 2 weeks. The impact of declines in US stock indexes, including those of AI semiconductor stocks, spread to the Tokyo market. Selling was particularly pronounced in semiconductor-related stocks such as Tokyo Electron and Advantest.
Market participants said that rising crude oil futures prices, driven by reports over the weekend of an attack on Saudi Arabia and concerns over the situation in the Middle East, had been cited as a selling factor.