TOKYO: Tokyo stocks opened 0.20 percent lower on Friday, taking a breather after rising for the past 10 days, and as a string of lacklustre data fuelled concerns about Japan s economy.
The Nikkei 225 index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange slipped 41.19 points to 20,510.27 at the start.
The Nikkei s winning session on Thursday marked its longest consecutive rally since a 13-day run in February 1988 during the heady days of Japan s stock market bubble.
Shortly before markets opened, the government released a string of data that showed household spending logged a surprise drop in April while inflation and factory output were also lacklustre.
Tokyo also picked up a weak lead from Wall Street where the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.20 percent, tracking dips in European bourses, amid worries about Greece s bailout.
International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde, who was attending a G7 meeting, reportedly warned of the potential for a Greek exit of the 19-nation eurozone and said such a scenario would not be “a walk in the park” for the single-currency area.
