Tokyo stocks closed lower on Friday amid renewed concerns that tighter artificial intelligence regulations could curb investment in data centers following the U.S. midterm elections.
The benchmark Nikkei stock index, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average, lost 3,643.13 points, or 5.96 percent, to close at 57,434.77.
The broader Topix index, meanwhile, finished 232.40 points, or 5.90 percent, lower at 3,707.99 points.
Tokyo stocks tracked overnight losses on Wall Street, where technology shares tumbled amid concerns that Democratic gains in the U.S. midterm elections could lead to tighter restrictions on data center construction, while broader selling across the Japanese market reflected growing uncertainty over the economic and political outlook, analysts said.
Japan's Nikkei plunges nearly 6 pct on AI regulation worries
