Japan's Indexes Extended Six-Week Losses to 6%

Akira Ito
18 Nov, 2025
Tokyo

 

Japan's indexes extended losses for the third consecutive session, mirroring weakness in overnight trading on Wall Street. 

The Nikkei 225 Stock Average dropped nearly 3%, and the broader Topix decreased 2.4%. 

Stocks faced headwinds amid growing caution ahead of the release of Nvidia's quarterly results on Wednesday. 

Rising tensions between Japan and China contributed to market anxieties, as investors feared that a sharp fall in Chinese tourists could hurt sales of retailers, convenience store chains, hotels, and railroad operators.

Investors were on alert ahead of the meeting between Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda. 

The Japanese yen dropped to a ten-month low amid speculation that Takaichi has publicly favored a cautious approach to rate hikes while preparing for a fiscal spending plan that could surpass expectations.

Later in the day, Takaichi is also scheduled to meet with the National Tax Commission, an advisory group to the prime minister and policymakers, as the prime minister looks to overhaul tax policy aimed at supporting investment and household spending. 

 

Japan Indexes and Stocks 

The Nikkei 225 Stock Average decreased 2.9% to 48,870.14, and the broader Topix dropped 2.4% to 3,268.84. 

Semiconductor equipment makers and AI-supply chain-linked stocks faced another turbulent day in Tokyo. 

Tokyo Electron decreased 5.2% to ¥31,580.0, Advantest Corp. fell 4.2% to ¥19,165.0, Disco Corp. declined 4.3% to ¥46,140.0, and SoftBank Group plunged 7.2% to ¥18,915.0. 

Isetan Mitsukoshi Holding gained 2.4% to ¥2,339.0, Fast Retailing decreased 0.4% to ¥53,300.0, Seven & I Holding declined 0.4% to ¥2,026.0, and Takashimaya Co. Ltd. fell 1.1% to ¥1,608.0.