The Tokyo stock exchange's Nikkei 225 index was down 1.6 percent when investors took a break for lunch on Monday, while the broader Topix index indicated a minus of 1.4 percent.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng was up 0.3 percent, with the increase led by technology stocks that are recovering from last week's declines.
Shanghai and Shenzhen's composite index was simultaneously up 0.1 percent.
South Korea's Kospi index was up 0.9 percent after a sharper decline of 3.9 percent on Friday, when the South Korean government announced a new capital tax. The proposal will now be reviewed by a special committee, after a petition against the proposal collected over 50,000 signatures.
