Tokyo stocks open sharply lower on trade war concerns

TOKYO, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks opened sharply lower Monday following Wall Street's decline at the end of last week on concerns that Washington's protectionist trade policy may trigger a trade war.

As of 9:15 a.m. local time, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average dropped 252.74 points, or 1.23 percent, from Friday to 20,365.12.

The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, meanwhile, lost 17.15 points, or 1.03 percent, at 1,647.79.

Electric appliance, real estate and precision instrument-linked issues comprised those that decline the most in the opening minutes after the morning bell.