Export-focused stocks were the big losers in Tokyo on Thursday, but domestic stocks were down as well as equities markets there fell significantly after Wednesday’s losses on Wall Street. The Nikkei 225 fell 1.7 percent to 16,012.41, while the Topix index was 1.8 percent lower to 1,613.46. The good news, if there was any, was that the Mothers Index of small and mid-cap stocks was down just 0.3 percent to 1,327.53.

The electronics sector was down as Sony fell another 1.6 percent to ¥4,970 on the news that its PlayStation 3 gaming console will not launch in Europe until after the Christmas season. Matsushita Electric Industrial was also 1.6 percent lower, to ¥2,490.

Carmakers also saw declines. Nissan was down 1.8 percent to ¥1,317, while Toyota was reported to be 1.9 percent lower to ¥6,210 and Honda fell 2.8 percent to ¥3,890.

Sumitomo Rubber dropped 4.9 percent to ¥1,198 on a lowered target share price. Morgan Stanley said it was concerned about demand in North America and Japan as it lowered the tire maker’s target from ¥1,400 to ¥1,300.

The retail sector was down 1.7 percent as a whole, with Seven & I 2 percent lower to ¥4,010.

The Tokyo equities markets were substantially lower on Wednesday as manufacturers felt the impact of rising prices for raw materials and as investors continued to worry about US interest rates. The Nikkei 225 was down 1.9 percent to 14,886.11, while the Topix index declined by 1.4 percent to 1,527.51.

Tiremaker Bridgestone dropped 4.3 percent to ¥2,140 after it said that rising raw materials prices were forcing it to cut its 2006-2007 profits forecast. Yokohama Rubber fell by 2.8 percent to ¥488, while Sumitomo Rubber declined by 4.4 percent to ¥1,208.

Chemical stocks were also hit by higher raw materials costs as the price of naphtha hit record highs in Asia. Nissan Chemical Industries was down 3.8 percent to ¥1,379, while Mitsui Chemicals declined by 6.8 percent to ¥704.

The export-focused automobile manufacturing sector saw losses as concerns continued about the state of the US economy. Toyota was down 1.9 percent to ¥5,700. Nissan dropped 2.3 percent to ¥1,183 after issuing warnings of poor domestic sales and rising materials costs, while Honda fell 2.5 percent to ¥3.530.

The securities sector was down 2.7 percent as a whole. Nomura declined by 3.1 percent to ¥2,035, while Nikko Cordial dropped 3.5 percent to ¥1,436 and Kabu.com fell 6.3 percent to ¥207,000.

Tokyo equities markets were up on Wednesday despite early losses. The Nikkei 225, which was down by over 4 percent on Tuesday, added 0.6 percent to 14,309.56, while the Topix index gained 0.5 percent to 1,466.14. Meanwhile, the Mothers index of small and mid-cap stocks was up 3.7 percent to 1,394.09.

The transport equipment sector added 0.9 percent as a whole. Honda was up 0.7 percent to ¥6,790, while Toyota gained 1.1 percent to ¥5,590 and Mazda advanced by 2.5 percent to ¥618.

An expected decline in rubber prices spurred Goldman Sachs to recommend both Sumitomo Rubber, which it just began covering, and tyre maker Bridgestone. Sumitomo Rubber added 8.2 percent to ¥1,271, while Bridgestone advanced by 1.1 percent to ¥2,190.

Another export-focused sector, electronics, gained 0.6 percent on the day. Mitsubishi Electric added 1 percent to ¥844, while Matsushita Electric Industrial was up 1.4 percent to ¥2,245.

Retailers were up 0.5 percent on the day as a sector, with Aeon advancing by 3.7 percent on the day after recent losses.

In the telecommunications sector, KDDI dropped 1.2 percent to ¥661,000 after it said that personal information on approximately 4 million customers had been disclosed.