Tokyo stocks opened lower Thursday, weighed down by moves to lock in gains from a sharp rise the day before, with sentiment dampened by declines on Wall Street overnight.
In the first 15 minutes of trading, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average fell 356.48 points, or 1.07 percent, from Wednesday to 33,089.42. The broader Topix index was down 19.54 points, or 0.82 percent, at 2,367.66.
On the top-tier Prime Market, decliners were led by mining, marine transportation, and oil and coal product issues.
At 9 a.m., the U.S. dollar fetched 147.17-18 yen compared with 147.25-35 yen in New York and 146.96-98 yen in Tokyo at 5 p.m. Wednesday.
The euro was quoted at $1.0764-0768 and 158.41-48 yen against $1.0759-0769 and 158.57-67 yen in New York and $1.0789-0791 and 158.56-60 yen in Tokyo late Wednesday afternoon.
