Japanese stocks fell for a fourth straight session on Thursday, hit by concerns the country was on the verge of a coronavirus crisis as the global death toll continued to climb.
The Nikkei index ended down 1.37% at 17,818.72, shedding 25% so far this year.
Experts warned on Wednesday that Japan was on the brink of a crisis as virus cases rise relentlessly around the nation, increasing the chance of lockdowns and other severe restrictions on personal movement that will hurt economic activity.
The largest percentage losses in the index were department store operator J.Front Retailing Co Ltd down 8.15%, followed by printer and electronics maker Seiko Epson Corp losing 7.39%, and Subaru Corp down 7.2% after the auto maker said it would suspend global production. The broader TOPIX index ended Thursday down 1.57%. The volume of shares traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's main board was 1.64 billion, compared to the average of 2.07 billion in the past 30 days.