Japan's Stock Market Falls From Record High

Tokyo's Nikkei 225 — a list of 225 major Japanese companies — fell 0.9% to 60,843 on May 18, 2026, with technology stocks leading the drop, per Asahi Shimbun. The decline came after the index reached record highs the prior week. It had climbed about 4,500 points since February 9, when a 3.9% surge followed Sanae Takaichi's election win. Tech's large share of the index makes it sensitive to U.S. chip and software trading.