Koersval in Japan wordt test voor premier

This week’s slide in Japanese stocks raises the stakes for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s planned revamp of business regulations as officials sought to sustain confidence in efforts to revive the economy.

The Topix Index (TPX) of shares yesterday tumbled 3.8 percent, a week after careening down 6.9 percent, the most since the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. The index’s gains over the past six months were pared to 45 percent, from as much as about 63 percent earlier this month.