2026.04.3000:45:51UTC+00Japanese Shares Decline as Oil Prices Surge

The Nikkei 225 Index fell 1% to around 59,300, while the broader Topix Index declined 1.6% to 3,710 in post-holiday trading on Thursday, extending the previous session’s losses. Sentiment was weighed down by another sharp rise in oil prices amid the prolonged US–Iran conflict and ongoing disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. Hopes for renewed peace talks faded after President Donald Trump said the US would maintain its naval blockade on Iran until a new nuclear agreement is reached, intensifying concerns given Japan’s heavy dependence on Middle Eastern oil imports.

At the same time, the US Federal Reserve left its policy rate unchanged, as widely anticipated, though four officials dissented, underscoring divisions over the interest-rate outlook. On the domestic front, data showed that Japan’s industrial production unexpectedly contracted in March, while retail sales came in stronger than forecast.

Major index heavyweights led the declines, including SoftBank Group (-3.1%), Fujikura (-4.1%), Mitsubishi UFJ (-2.5%), Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (-5%), and Hitachi (-2.7%).