This file photo shows the Tokyo Stock Exchange. (Mainichi)

       TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Tokyo stocks ended sharply lower Thursday on weak tech shares and concerns about the impact on corporate profits of a continued rise in crude oil prices.

       The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average ended down 546.97 points, or 1.87 percent, from Wednesday at 28,708.58. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange finished 26.86 points, or 1.32 percent, lower at 2,000.81.

       Every industry category lost ground, led by air transportation, and electric appliance issues.

       The Nikkei index extended losses in the afternoon, triggered by a drop in U.S. stock futures and the Hang Seng index in Hong Kong after shares of debt-laden Evergrande Group plunged over 10 percent.

       The Chinese property developer returned to trade in Hong Kong on Thursday after being suspended Oct. 4 amid mounting fears about a potential default. Evergrande said Wednesday it has formally abandoned plans to sell a stake in one of its key units.

       Investors also took a cue from the currency market, with the U.S. dollar falling slightly toward the 114 yen line, the yen attracting buying as a safe asset even as Tokyo stocks dropped, dealers said.

       "Surging crude oil prices have raised fears that it may squeeze corporate profits, while a slight strengthening of the yen (against the U.S. dollar) also dampened sentiment," said Shingo Ide, chief equity strategist at NLI Research Institute.

       Stocks were dragged down by large-cap chip-related stocks from the outset, tracking overnight losses on the tech-heavy Nasdaq index. Some investors remained sidelined ahead of a slew of earnings results from major Japanese companies next week.

       However, concerns over the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on economic activity have been eased with Japan's ongoing vaccination program, brokers said. In the most recent development, Tokyo and the three surrounding prefectures of Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa are set to lift COVID-19 restrictions on dining establishments from next week amid a steady decline in infections, officials said Wednesday.

       On the First Section, declining issues outnumbered advancers 1,786 to 323, while 75 ended unchanged.

       Automobile manufacturers and air transportation issues were lower after crude oil futures surpassed $84 per barrel to a fresh seven-year high during New York trading.

       Toyota Motor declined 48.0 yen, or 2.4 percent, to 1,983.5 yen, and Suzuki Motor fell 127 yen, or 2.4 percent, to 5,123 yen. ANA Holdings dropped 64.0 yen, or 2.3 percent, to 2,689.0 yen, while Japan Airlines sagged 46 yen, or 1.8 percent, to 2,471 yen.

       Among chip-related shares, Tokyo Electron skidded 2,350 yen, or 4.6 percent, to 48,610 yen, and Screen Holdings was down 270 yen, or 2.9 percent, to 9,030 yen.

       Trading volume on the main section fell to 1,041.91 million shares from Wednesday's 1,117.80 million shares.

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