Tokyo stocks plunged Monday on the first trading day of the year as below par manufacturing data from China compounded a dour market mood, with sentiment initially dashed by Wall Street's slump at the end of last year.
The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average plunged 582.73 points, or 3.06 percent, from last Wednesday to a near 10-week closing low at 18,450.98.
The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, meanwhile, tumbled 37.63 points, or 2.43 percent, to end the day at 1,509.67.
Major decliners were comprised of foods, chemicals and transport equipment-linked shares, and the turnover was 2,265.4 billion yen (18.95 billion U.S. dollars).
Markets here were closed Thursday and Friday for the New Year break.
