It was gloomy on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in the week's initial trading on Tuesday, after being closed on Monday for a public holiday.
The important Nikkei 225 had fallen 2.1 percent by lunchtime, while the broader Topix index was down 1.8 percent.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index was up 1.1 percent, on the other hand.
In China and South Korea, the stock exchanges remained closed for the holiday.
