TOKYO, May 29 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks closed lower Wednesday as the market here inherited a weak lead from U.S. shares being sold the previous day, with investors still concerned about protracted trade issues clouding the outlook of global growth.
The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average dropped 256.77 points, or 1.21 percent, from Tuesday to close the day at 21,003.37.
The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, meanwhile, lost 14.58 points, or 0.94 percent, to finish at 1,536.41.
Investors were in a risk-off mood from the get-go, local brokers said, following U.S. shares being sold Tuesday on renewed concerns about U.S.-initiated global trade issues and the potential impact on the world economy.
Cyclical issues here came under pressure, investment strategists here said, as they are widely exposed to global macroeconomic trends, and Screen Holdings ended the day 4.5 percent lower, while Advantest relinquished 4.0 percent.
Owing to the yen's rise against the U.S. dollar, exporters lost ground as they rely on a weak yen to boost profits made overseas when repatriated and for their overall competitiveness in foreign markets.
As such, Sony fell 2.6 percent, while automaker Subaru skidded down to close 2.0 percent lower.
By the close of play, precision instrument, electric power and gas, and food-linked issues comprised those that declined the most, and issues that fell outpaced those that rose by 1,541 to 512 on the First Section, while 83 ended the day unchanged.
On the main section on Wednesday, 1,322.29 million shares changed hands, dropping from Tuesday's volume of 1,719.62 million shares.
The turnover on the third trading day of the week came to 2,103.0 billion yen (19.25 billion U.S. dollars).