The Tokyo Stock Exchange's Nikkei 225 index was down 0.7 percent when investors went to lunch, while the broader Topix index pointed to a minus 0.6 percent.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng was simultaneously down 2.1 percent. Shanghai's and Shenzhen's composite index were down 0.7 percent and 1.4 percent, respectively.
South Korea's Kospi index stood at minus 0.6 percent.
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that it is now up to China to initiate negotiations to resolve the escalating trade conflict between the world's two largest economies.
"The ball is on China's court. China must make a deal with us. We don't need to make up with them," read a statement read out by the White House's press secretary Karoline Leavitt, which she meant was dictated by Trump.
The statement has been interpreted as the US and China stubbornly continuing to hold fast to their positions since the countries introduced import tariffs against each other of 145 and 125 percent, respectively.
