Japan Shares Fall as US-Iran Deadlock Fuels Energy Supply Fears; Nintendo Tumbles 8%
Japanese shares ended lower on Monday as risk sentiment weakened after U.S. President Donald Trump and Iran rejected each other's latest proposals to end the Middle East conflict, fueling concerns over prolonged geopolitical tensions and tighter energy supplies.The Nikkei 225 fell 0.5%, or 295.77 points, to close at 62,417.88.U.S. President Donald Trump dismissed Iran's latest counterproposal to end the 10-week Middle East conflict as "totally unacceptable," while Tehran signaled it would not concede to U.S. demands, deepening a standoff that has disrupted flows through the Strait of Hormuz and rattled global energy markets.Trump said on Truth Social on Sunday that he had reviewed Iran's response delivered through intermediaries and rejected it outright. Iranian state media characterized Tehran's position as a refusal to accept what it described as a U.S. push for "surrender."Iran reportedly sought war reparations, full control over the Strait of Hormuz, the removal of sanctions, and the release of frozen Iranian assets as part of any agreement.On the corporate front, Nintendo (TYO:7974) fell 8% after forecasting a 27% decline in fiscal 2027 profit and an 11.4% drop in sales, while also raising Nintendo Switch 2 prices in Japan and the U.S. amid tariff pressures.MEITEC Group Holdings (TYO:9744) slipped 1% after saying a November 2025 interim dividend exceeded the legally distributable amount due to a calculation error and appointing external experts to investigate the matter.Japan Tobacco (TYO:2914) climbed 7%, as first-quarter profit attributable to owners of parent rose 25.1% to 197.04 billion yen and the company maintained its full-year outlook.