The Nikkei 225 index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange, which jumped 2.64 percent on Wednesday, fell 101.99 points to 15,093.78 at the start.
US stocks dropped Wednesday following mixed earnings reports, with the broad market retreating from three straight sessions of big gains.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.92 percent while the broad-based S&P 500 dropped 0.73 percent.
The dollar was at 107.15 yen early Thursday, compared with 107.14 yen in New York Wednesday afternoon.
The euro fetched $1.2645 and 135.50 yen against $1.2643 and 135.46 yen in US trade.