Japan's benchmark Nikkei fell on Tuesday as investors booked profits after a sharp gain in the previous session, while semiconductor stocks and other high-tech firms took a hit from a weak Nasdaq performance overnight.
In the broader market, Topix lost 0.48% to 1,565.49 by the recess, with all but eight of the 33 industry subindexes in the Tokyo Stock Exchange trading in the red. Semiconductor shares were bruised by a 2.13% drop on the Nasdaq Composite index, which was pulled down by Amazon, Microsoft and other big-name leaders of Wall Street's recent rally as fresh coronavirus restrictions in California and mounting U.S.-China tensions triggered a selloff.