Asian indexes declined Friday on concerns that high energy prices could hurt global economic growth as crude-oil futures topped $90 a barrel for the first time and as exporters and financials lost ground in Japan.
The Nikkei 225 average ended the day 1.7 percent lower at 16,814.37, while the broader Topix index dropped 1.6 percent to 1,591.28.
Owing to holidays, markets in Hong Kong and Indonesia were closed.
In Tokyo, exporters' shares declined as the yen continued to strengthen against the U.S. dollar. Canon Inc. stock declined 2.8 percent, shares of Sony Corp. lost 2 percent and Toyota Motor Corp. fell 1.6 percent.
Earlier in the day, data released by the government showed that Japan's economic activity rose 1 percent in August from the previous month.
Shares of Mitsubishi UFJ fell 1.3 percent and Mizuho shares lost 2.2 percent, after weak earnings reports from Bank of America Corp. and Washington Mutual Inc. dragged down financial stocks on Wall Street Thursday.
ELSEWHERE:
MUMBAI: India's Sensex declined 2.5 percent to 17,547.52.
SEOUL: South Korea's Kospi dropped 1.8 percent to 1,970.10.
SINGAPORE: The Straits Times index lost 1.9 percent to 3,736.25.
TAIPEI: Taiwan's Weighted index eased 0.3 percent to 9,611.72.
SYDNEY: Australia's S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.9 percent at 6,706.30, led by banking as well as resource stocks.
WELLINGTON: New Zealand's NZX 50 index slipped 0.1 percent to 4,316.31.
with files from other wire services
