Tokyo stocks opened lower Friday, tracking Wall St. losses overnight, as investors await a speech later in the day by the U.S. Federal Reserve chief that could hint at further U.S. interest rate hikes.
In the first 15 minutes of trading, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average fell 507.05 points, or 1.57 percent, from Thursday to 31,780.16. The broader Topix index was down 17.45 points, or 0.76 percent, at 2,269.14.
Decliners included electric appliance, machinery, and information and communication issues.
At 9 a.m., the U.S. dollar fetched 146.04-07 yen compared with 145.78-88 yen in New York and 145.31-33 yen in Tokyo at 5 p.m. Thursday.
The euro was quoted at $1.0798-0799 and 157.66-76 yen against $1.0805-0815 and 157.58-68 yen in New York, and $1.0856-0857 and 157.75-79 yen in Tokyo late Thursday afternoon.
