The Tokyo stock exchange plummeted on Thursday morning, as a result of a strengthened Japanese currency in combination with a decline on the New York stock exchange due to concerns about the American economy.
Shortly after opening, the Nikkei 225 index had fallen by more than 5 percent, which by lunchtime had ticked up to 4.9. The broader Topix index had fallen by 4.7 percent.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng had fallen by 2.2 percent after a few hours of trading.
