| The Japanese benchmark Nikkei 225 Index slumped 0.9 percent to close trading at 50,148.82. The day's trading range was between 49,932.5 and 50,864.
Mitsui jumped 4.85 percent. Panasonic Corp. as well as Advantest Corp. both followed with gains of more than 4.4 percent. Toppan Printing added 3.2 percent followed by Chugai Pharmaceutical that added 2.8 percent.
SoftBank Group Corp. led losses with a decline of 7.7 percent. Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma also declined 6.2 percent. Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Mitsui Mining and Smelting Co. and Taiyo Yuden all declined more than 4 percent. |