Australian shares led widespread losses in Asia-Pacific on Wednesday, with shares of Ardent Leisure, operator of Dreamworld theme park, tumbling 14.9% to 2 Australian dollars a share ($1.54 U.S.) after four people were killed due to an apparently malfunctioned ride on Tuesday
The Nikkei 225 Index doffed 26.59 points, or 0.2%, to 17,391.84, with the yen at 104.31 against the U.S. dollar, a touch weaker than its last close of 104.22.
The Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong lost 239.68 points, or 1%, to 23,325.43
In Japan, gaming giant Nintendo released its earnings after market close, where the company posted a first half operating loss of $57 million U.S. Nintendo shares closed down 0.7% on Wednesday
Macau casino operator Galaxy Entertainment posted a 28% rise in net profit in the third quarter to HK$2.7 billion ($348.13 million U.S.) on-year, Reuters reported. Galaxy Entertainment shares were up 1.9%, while other gaming shares listed in Hong Kong ended mixed.
Shares of Wynn Macau advanced 1% and Sands China was up 1.3% Melco International shares slipped 0.2%
Australian markets were led downward by the energy sector, tumbled 2.5%on the back of lower oil prices, while the heavily-weighted financial sector was off 1.3%.
The country's so-called Big Four banks fell near or more than 1% each; shares in ANZ closed down 0.9%, Commonwealth Bank of Australia fell 1.4% Westpac was lower by 1% and the National Australia Bank was down 1.2%
Energy plays sank more than 1% each, with Santos shares closing down 3%, Oil Search off 3%, Woodside Petroleumdown 1.9% and Beach Energy dropping 6.3%
The Australian dollar rose to a session high of $0.7708 U.S., from levels below $0.7650 after consumer prices in the country edged up. As of late afternoon, the Australian dollar traded at $0.7692 U.S.
Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed the consumer price index for the July-September quarter rose 0.7% on-quarter, compared with a rise of 0.4% in the May-June quarter. Prices rose 1.3% over the 12 months to the September quarter.
Analysts said the uptick reduced the likelihood of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) delivering another rate cut at its next policy meeting.
Australian conglomerate Wesfarmers, which owns one of the largest supermarket chains in the country, Coles, posted its first quarter financial 2017 sales results.
Food and liquor store sales at its Coles supermarket chain rose 1.8% in the three months to September, which was slower than the 3.3% adjusted increment for the June quarter. Wesfarmers shares finished down 5.7%.
In other earnings news, South Korea's LG Display said its third-quarter operating profit fell 2.9% on-year to 323 billion won ($286.12 million U.S.), according to Reuters. This beat a Reuters forecast that predicted 307 billion won in operating profit. LG Display shares closed up 0.5%.
Korean markets hesitated amid local reports that said travel agencies in mainland China were reportedly ordered by provincial governments to reduce the number of tourists visiting South Korea, according to the Nikkei business daily.
In other markets
The CSI 300 dropped 12.65 points, or 0.4%, to 3,354.80
In Korea, the Kospi slid 23.28 points, or 1.1%, to 2,013.89
The Straits Times Index in Singapore retreated 25.48 points, or 0.9%, to 2,828.57
In Taiwan, the Taiex Index slumped 23.4 points, or 0.3%, to 9,362.25
In New Zealand, the NZX 50 fell 106.66 points, or 1.5%, to 6,896.21
In Australia, the ASX 200 moved backward 83.03 points, or 1.5%, to 5,359.80
