Tokyo stocks closed sharply lower on Wednesday as a continued slump in oil prices led to a sell-off on concerns of a slowdown in the global economy.
The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average lost 559.43 points, or 3.15 percent, from Tuesday at 17,191.25, Xinhua reported.
The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, meanwhile, ended the day 45.77 points, or 3.15 percent, lower at 1,406.27.
All industry categories apart from oil and coal products on the main section retreated, most notably equities, iron and steel, and machinery-linked shares.
The day's turnover was 3,139.6 billion yen ($26.25 billion).
