The Nikkei 225 is holding around zero, while the broader Topix is down a third of a percent after one hour of trading.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng retreats 0.8 percent in the opening, while the composite index in Shanghai is down about 0.2 percent.
Taiwan’s weighted index lost half a percent in early trade, while the Seoul Stock Exchange’s Kospi lost 0.4 percent.