The stock exchanges in Asia are falling broadly on Monday. The Tokyo Nikkei index had fallen 12.4 percent at the close. It is the largest fall since the so-called "Black Monday" in 1987 when the Nikkei fell 14.9 percent.
The broader Topix index also fell sharply with over 11 percent.
The fall on the world's stock exchanges began already last week when unexpectedly weak figures for the American labor market led to global stock market anxiety.
Furthermore, an interest rate hike in Japan has strengthened the Japanese yen, which has led to concerns about how the country's export industry and tourism may be affected.