Japan's Nikkei falls 2% amid global chip sell-off, surging yen

Japan's Nikkei dropped 2%, led by a chip sell-off and stronger yen. Tokyo Electron fell 9.5%. Nikkei hit 42,426.77 last week. Volatility spiked. U.S. chip shares fell on export curbs. Topix dropped 0.93%. TSMC earnings, Tokyo groups, Taiwan-U.S. tensions noted. Machinery, Mazda, precision machinery, value shares, transport sector also declined. Nomura’s Sawada cited earnings season impact.