The Nikkei 225 index dropped more than 1.8%, following a decline on Wall Street overnight. The index widened its losses to 2%, with significant declines in major companies such as Hitachi, which fell over 3%, and Sony, which declined nearly 2%. The drop in Japan’s Nikkei Stock Average was also influenced by chip stocks tracking their US counterparts lower. Tokyo Electron shares fell more than 9%, contributing to the overall market decline after a 4-day rally.