The stock exchanges in Tokyo began Monday trading with heavy falls ahead of Donald Trump's announced tariffs, which are set to take effect on April 2.
The important Nikkei 225 index had, shortly after opening, fallen 3.6 percent, while the broader Topix index retreated 3.2.
It was also gloomy in China, although not quite as dark, when the composite index in Shanghai and Shenzhen contracted by 0.7 and 0.9, respectively.
