Tokyo stocks closed down 1.50 percent on Thursday on continued profit-taking with a weaker yen failing to lift the market into positive territory.
The benchmark Nikkei-225 shed 241.12 points to 15,880.33, while the Topix index of all first-section shares slipped 0.73 percent, or 9.48 points, to 1,296.75.
The slump added to losses earlier this week as profit-taking set in among investors who watched the Nikkei surge 57 percent last year -- its best performance since 1972.
Wall Street closed mostly lower after US Federal Reserve meeting minutes showed most Fed policymakers thought the US economy could withstand reduced monetary stimulus.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.41 percent to 16,462.74.
The minutes documented the discussion that preceded the Fed's December 18 announcement to trim asset purchases by $10 billion to $75 billion a month beginning in January.
Investors are now speculating about the possibility of a further reduction after the central bank's meeting later this month, with markets eyeing official jobs data due Friday. The figures are seen as a key gauge for any further reductions in the stimulus.
Source: Global Post
