The Nikkei average hit a month-and-a-half low on Wednesday on selling stirred by political turmoil in Italy and rekindled concerns over a U.S.-China trade war.
The 225-issue Nikkei stock average ended down 339.91 points, or 1.52 percent, from Tuesday at 22,018.52. The broader Topix index of all first section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange finished 25.72 points, or 1.46 percent, lower at 1,736.13.
The slump was led by nonferrous metal, insurance, and glass and ceramic product issues.