Shares of exporters were down after the yen surged more than 1% against the US dollar overnight and continued its climb on Wednesday.
Japanese stocks fell as wild swings on Wall Street sapped investor confidence ahead of the full implementation of US trade tariffs.
The broader Topix Index slid as much as 3.7% to 2,342.66 points, while the blue-chip Nikkei 225 Stock Average declined as much as 4% to 31,708.21.
