Nikkei 225 closes lower by 1.52% at 22,977.13
The drop today sees the Nikkei hover around its 100-day moving average
Elsewhere, the Hang Seng is seen down by 2.0% now while the Shanghai Composite is down by 1.0% going into the closing stages of the day.
US futures have slumped heavily ahead of European trading with Nasdaq futures leading losses, down by 2.3%. S&P 500 futures are down by 1.9%.
In the currencies space, the yen is leading gains amid the more defensive risk tilt with the dollar keeping more mixed so far. USD/JPY is trading at the lows close to 104.15-20 but is sandwiched between large option expiries at 104.00 and 104.50 once again.
