Tokyo stocks open lower ahead of BOJ policy meeting outcome

Tokyo stocks opened lower Friday, with investors adopting a cautious stance ahead of the conclusion later in the day of the Bank of Japan’s two-day policy meeting.

In the first 15 minutes of trading, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average fell 240.43 points, or 0.72 percent, from Thursday to 33,245.06. The broader Topix index was down 11.23 points, or 0.49 percent, at 2,282.74.

Decliners included pulp and paper, land transportation, and marine transportation issues.

At 9 a.m., the U.S. dollar fetched 140.26-27 yen compared with 140.25-35 yen in New York and 141.28-30 yen in Tokyo at 5 p.m. Thursda...