Tokyo stocks opened sharply lower in early trading on Thursday after the market's massive rise the previous day.
At 9.15 a.m., the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average plunged 625.96 points, or 3.33 percent, from Wednesday to 18,144.55, Xinhua news agency reported.
The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange was down 39.18 points, or 2.60 percent, to 1,468.19.
Every industry category on the main section lost ground, with mining, insurance as well as information and communication issues leading decliners.
On Wednesday, the Nikkei stock index soared 7.71 percent, marking its biggest one-day points gain since January 1994.