Japanese Shares Fall on Mideast Worries

2026-03-16 00:46 By Jam Kaimo Samonte 1 min. read

The Nikkei 225 Index fell 1.2% to below 53,200 while the broader Topix Index lost 0.7% to 3,600 on Monday, with Japanese shares remaining under pressure as investors continued to grapple with Middle East uncertainty and volatile oil prices.

In the latest developments, the US attacked military targets on Iran’s main oil-export hub of Kharg Island over the weekend, while reports suggest that the US will soon announce a coalition of countries to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

A senior Japanese official said the threshold is “extremely high” for Tokyo to deploy warships to help protect a shipping lane for oil in the Middle East.

Meanwhile, the Bank of Japan is expected to hold its policy rate steady this week amid heightened uncertainty over the Iran war’s impact on the domestic economy.

Notable decliners included Nintendo (-1.8%), Fujikura (-2%), and Lasertec (-2.1%).



News Stream
Japanese Shares Fall on Mideast Worries
The Nikkei 225 Index fell 1.2% to below 53,200 while the broader Topix Index lost 0.7% to 3,600 on Monday, with Japanese shares remaining under pressure as investors continued to grapple with Middle East uncertainty and volatile oil prices. In the latest developments, the US attacked military targets on Iran’s main oil-export hub of Kharg Island over the weekend, while reports suggest that the US will soon announce a coalition of countries to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz. A senior Japanese official said the threshold is “extremely high” for Tokyo to deploy warships to help protect a shipping lane for oil in the Middle East. Meanwhile, the Bank of Japan is expected to hold its policy rate steady this week amid heightened uncertainty over the Iran war’s impact on the domestic economy. Notable decliners included Nintendo (-1.8%), Fujikura (-2%), and Lasertec (-2.1%).
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The Nikkei 225 Index fell 1.16% to close at 53,820, while the broader Topix Index lost 0.57% to 3,629 on Friday, sliding for the second straight session and tracking losses on Wall Street overnight as oil prices soared on disruptions from the Middle East war. Oil rallied after Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, vowed to keep the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed, while intensifying attacks on regional oil and transport infrastructure. Meanwhile, Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda cautioned that a weak yen could heighten imported inflation as oil prices rise, potentially prompting the central bank to accelerate policy normalization. Technology and auto stocks led the downturn, with steep losses from Advantest (-3.5%), SoftBank Group (-4.5%), Tokyo Electron (-3.6%), Toyota Motor (-2.8%) and Honda Motor (-5.6%). The Nikkei and Topix indexes lost 3.24% and 2.36%, respectively, for the week, marking their second consecutive weekly decline.
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