TOKYO: Japanese stocks slipped on Tuesday as Greece teetered on the brink of a default, while investors kept a wary watch for clues on the pace of U.S. rate increases as the Federal Reserve begins a two-day policy-setting meeting later in the day.
The Nikkei share average fell 0.6 percent to end the day at 20,257.94 while the broader Topix fell 0.7 percent to 1,639.86 in thin trade volume with turnover more than 10 percent below the average in the last 100 days.
Toyota Motor shares pared much of their losses to end 0.2 percent down after shareholders approved the automaker’ s controversial plan to issue a new class of shares at its annual general meeting.
But some market players said the move, which was opposed by some foreign investors as favouring docile Japanese retail investors over other shareholders, could sap investors’ enthusiasm on corporate governance reforms in Japan.