Profit-taking led the market against a backdrop of the previous day's sharp rise and the yen's appreciation. The Nikkei 225's expected range for today has also been reported.
Profit-taking was reported to be leading today's market following the previous day's sharp rise. The yen's appreciation was also cited as a contributing factor.
The Nikkei Average was shown at 66,399.84 as of 15:30, up 1,378.90 points from the previous day, or 2.12%.
In the US market, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell to a close of 53,414.25, down 271.86 from the previous day, or 0.51%. Meanwhile, the dollar-yen rate was reported at ¥153.96.