The Nikkei 225 index dropped 1.21 percent, or 249.48 points, to close at 20,405.65, while the broader Topix index lost 1.04 percent, or 15.65 points, to 1,483.85.

"Today's fall could not be avoided following such a huge drop in US shares," said Daiwa Securities chief technical analyst Eiji Kinouchi.

"The outlook for the global market is quite uncertain now," Kinouchi said.

US stocks plummeted Wednesday amid worsening economic fears after US Treasury yields briefly inverted, flashing a warning sign for a coming recession.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average suffered a loss of about 800 points -- its worst day of 2019.

"Worries over the US economic recession grew, while negative economic data for China and Germany also prompted investors to downgrade their views on the global economy," Mizuho Securities said.

The dollar fetched 105.91 yen in Asian afternoon trade, against 105.78 yen in New York.

Tokyo shares were down across the board, with Toyota down 0.84 percent at 6,795 yen, Nissan down 1.11 percent at 655.1 yen, and Sony off 1.30 percent at 5,838 yen.