TOKYO, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks closed lower Wednesday, with the benchmark Nikkei stock index ending below the 60,000 mark for the first time in three weeks.
The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average ended down 746.18 points, or 1.23 percent, from Tuesday at 59,804.41, falling for five consecutive trading days.
The broader Topix index, meanwhile, finished 59.02 points, or 1.53 percent, lower at 3,791.65.
The key Japanese government bond yield rose Tuesday to 2.800 percent, the highest close since comparable data became available in December 1998, weighing on market sentiment.
Meanwhile, the West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures contract mostly remained above 100 U.S. dollars per barrel, amid growing wariness over how far crude oil prices could surge after U.S. President Donald Trump referred to the possibility of further military action against Iran, analysts said. ■