In Tokyo, just before the lunch break, the Nikkei 225 index had retreated by 0.3 percent and the broader Topix index was also down 0.1 percent.
In China, at the same time, Shanghai’s composite index pointed to minus 0.7 percent, while the composite index in Shenzhen was down 0.9 percent.
In Seoul, the Kospi index stood at minus 0.3 percent.
The Hong Kong Stock Exchange was closed due to a public holiday.