Asian indexes ended sharply lower Monday, with banking and automotive shares leading decliners as oil stayed near record highs and investors fretted about renewed turmoil in credit markets.
Japan's Nikkei 225 index dropped 308.06, or 2.1 percent, to 14,181.38.
Exporters took a hit, with Canon Inc. dropping 4.4 percent and Toyota Motor Corp. sliding 2.9 percent.
One Japanese share that made a splash in an otherwise gloomy session was sportswear maker Goldwin, whose shares shot up 22 percent. Individual investors piled into the stock because the company has a license to sell Speedo's LZR Racer swimsuits, which was what Japanese swimmers were wearing as they set new national and world records at the Japan Open swimming competition over the weekend.
Mitsui & Co.'s shares fell 0.6% after the Nikkei newspaper reported the firm and Australia's Challenger Financial Services Group will invest 5 billion yen ($47.5 million) each into a fund that will invest in electrical power-generating stations and other infrastructure in emerging-market economies.
Elsewhere:
India's Bombay Sensitive Index lead declines among regional market, plummeting 3.1% to 15,082.48.
Singapore's Straits Times index was off 2.2%.
Taiwan's Weighted Price Index fell 1.8%.
New Zealand's NZX-50 gave up 1.4%.
Malaysia's KLSE Composite shed 1.6%.
South Korea's Kospi index dropped 1.3%.
Thailand's SET Index fell 1.2%.
Indonesia's Jakarta Composite lost 0.9%.
Markets in Australia, China, Hong Kong and the Philippines were closed for public holidays.
with files from other wire services
