Tokyo’s benchmark stock index has plunged more than 5 percent following a broad sell-off in New York.
The Nikkei 225 briefly fell more than 2,000 points on Friday morning from the previous day’s close. The index ended the morning session at 36,261 — down 1,864 points.
The plunge came on the back of concerns about weaker-than-expected data on US manufacturing. The Institute for Supply Management index showed a significant contraction of activity in July, falling to an eight-month low.
Japanese Finance Minister Suzuki Shunichi declined to comment on the drop in share prices, but said he needs to keep a close eye on market trends.