Japan's Nikkei share average tumbled on Wednesday to its lowest close since late February, taking its cue from a sell-off on Wall Street and a strengthening of the perceived safe-haven yen.
The Nikkei ended down 2.1 per cent at 19,041.38, plumbing its lowest levels since February 27.
The US dollar wallowed below the 112-yen level in troughs not seen since November, after Wall Street tumbled on Tuesday as investors' fears grew that President Donald Trump might have trouble delivering his promised tax cuts that helped propel US shares to record highs in recent months.
Banking and securities shares took a significant hit on the market downturn, with the Tokyo Stock Exchange's bank subindex shedding 3.2 per cent and the securities subindex dropping 3.8 per cent.
The broader Topix slipped 2.1 per cent to 1,530.20, while the JPX-Nikkei Index 400 finished 2.2 per cent lower at 13,679.58.