A spate of unnerving developments has seriously unsettled the Tokyo stock market in recent weeks.
With selling pressure continuing unabated, the benchmark Nikkei average hit a 16-month closing low of 15,727.49 Monday, down 1,887.17 points from its July 3 peak.
The market's leading concerns include fears of credit risks in the wake of Sogo Co.'s collapse, the delayed sale of Nippon Credit Bank and the Bank of Japan's intention to end its "zero-interest-rate" policy shortly.