Japan stocks fall on weak Euro

Japanese shares declined Friday morning with export-linked stocks dragged down by the yen's rise against the euro and as investors were concerned about the health of the US economy. The benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average lost 25.25 points, or 0.29 per cent, to trade at 8,770.3 at the end of the morning session at 11:30 am (0230 GMT). The broader-based Topix index was down 5.81 points, or 0.78 per cent, at 741.32. Exporters were among the day's leading decliners as the yen was standing at the mid-96-yen level to the euro. A stronger yen makes Japanese goods more expensive overseas and erodes repatriated earnings. Shares in Advantest Corp fell 2.22 per cent, Panasonic Corp dropped 1.85 per cent, construction machinery maker Komatsu Ltd lost 1.32 per cent, Toyota Motor Corp shed 0.66 per cent and Hitachi Ltd was down 0.65 per cent.