By DPA,
Tokyo : Japanese stocks fell in Thursday morning trading as fear of radioactive contamination spread while workers scrambled to stabilise a stricken nuclear power station in northeastern Japan.
The Nikkei 225 Stock Average lost 18.97 points, or 0.2 percent, to trade at 9,430.5 while the broader Topix index was down 5.11 points, or 0.59 percent, at 855.99.
Investors were concerned that radioactive pollution would spread in Japan after the Tokyo metropolitan government issued a health warning Wednesday that infants should not drink tap water. Tokyo is 240 km south-west of Fukushima 1 nuclear power plant, which was damaged by the March 11 earthquake and following tsunami.
On currency markets at 9.00 a.m. (0000 GMT), the dollar traded at 80.87-89 yen, up from Wednesday’s 5.00 p.m. quote of 80.73-75 yen.
The euro traded at $1.4104-4109, down from $1.4162-4164 Wednesday, and at 114.06-08 yen, down from 114.33-37 yen.