Nikkei retreats over 3 pct by break on anxiety of Brexit

Tokyo shares ended the morning session sharply lower on Friday with its benchmark Nikkei index tumbling over 3 percent as sentiment here was much weighed by the Britain's referendum over its membership of the European Union.

The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average plunged 495.95 points, or 3.05 percent, from Thursday to 15,742.40.

The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange was down 41.18 points, or 3.17 percent, to 1,257.53.

Meanwhile, in the forex market, the Japanese yen briefly hit a record high in over two and a half years against the U.S. dollar in the 99 yen zone, rising about 5 yen from the morning session. Endit