TOKYO - Tokyo's blue chip shares opened lower on Monday after falls of US tech stocks although the dollar's strength provided support for Japanese exporters.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 index slipped 0.14 percent, or 44.51 points, to 32,429.14 in early trade, while the broader Topix index edged up 0.08 percent, or 1.93 points, to 2,305.44.
The Tokyo market was seen coming under pressure after the Nasdaq lost 0.6 percent Friday, while the Dow ended up 0.3 percent.
After the US markets without a clear sense of direction, the Tokyo market "was seen to start in a narrow band," brokerage Monex said in a note.
"A key now is whether the Nikkei average can test 32,500 by using the cheap yen and other supporting factors," it said.
The yen on Monday morning hit its weakest level against the dollar since November. The US currency was trading at 145.10 yen, up from 144.93 yen seen Friday in New York.
Global investors are keenly focused on the US retail sales report for July and the minutes of the July 26 FOMC meeting, both to be released later this week, Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management wrote in a note.
Among major shares, Nintendo rose 0.66 percent to 6,292 yen while Toyota advanced 1.05 percent to 2,454.5 yen.