Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 Index suffered the steepest decline in four months on Friday with tech stocks experiencing intensified selling pressure, said market analyst Wang Yin.
The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average ended down 2,694.42 points, or 4.03 percent, from Thursday at 64,141.12.
The broader Topix index, meanwhile, finished 109.58 points, or 2.72 percent, lower at 3,919.21.
"The Nikkei 225 index tumbled 4.4 percent, marking its steepest decline in 4 months. The decline followed overnight losses in U.S. equities, where technology stocks tumbled, while U.S. economic data showed strength and corporate earnings season was robust," said Wang.
"With South Korea's market closed for a holiday, selling pressure intensified on Japan's tech market, and notably on chipmaker KIOXIA Holdings. KIOXIA lost 16 percent for its steepest one-day loss since November 2025. SUMCO fell 15 percent, followed by Taiyo Yuden, down more than 12 percent," said Wang.
Wang also pointed to the rising conflict in the Middle East as a key factor in Friday's stock selloff.
"And also, geopolitical tensions are remained elevated, as an escalation in the Middle East conflict prompted investors to shun risk assets." said Wang.
Nikkei 225 experiences sharpest decline in 4 months on Friday: analyst
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday urged efforts to carry out search and rescue operations in a scientific manner after a landslide struck a county in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, leaving people trapped and missing.
The landslide occurred at 9:08 Friday in Hanjia Sub-district along a section of the Wujiang River in Pengshui Miao and Tujia Autonomous County, burying several residential buildings at the foot of the mountain. Ten people had been rescued as of 14:00, according to local authorities.
In his instructions, Xi stressed the need for scientific search and rescue operations to prevent secondary disasters, and called for proper medical treatment for the injured and appropriate arrangements for the aftermath. He also urged relevant departments to identify the cause of the disaster, draw lessons from this case and conduct thorough inspections to eliminate geological hazards. Xi emphasized that all regions and relevant departments must further fulfill their safety responsibilities, strengthen monitoring, early warning and risk inspection systems, and ensure that all work is carried out in a concrete and meticulous manner, so as to effectively protect the lives and property of the people.
The Ministry of Natural Resources on Friday raised its geological disaster emergency response to Level II from Level III and dispatched a working team to the site.
A four-tier emergency response system is in place for geological disasters, with Level I being the most severe.
Xi urges scientific search and rescue efforts after Chongqing landslide
