The Japanese Nikkei 225 index is down 1.5 percent, the broader Topix is also down 1.3 percent.
The Hong Kong-based Hang Seng is down 0.3 percent.
South Korea's Kospi, on the other hand, is increasing, up 0.8%.
Chinese indices also showed gains, although not as large. Shenzhen rose 0.4 percent and the Shanghai Composite Index rose 0.1 percent.
