TOKYO, August 5. /TASS/. Japan's Nikkei index, which reflects fluctuations in share prices of 225 leading Japanese companies, fell by 12.4% by the end of the trading session. Local observers note that this happened amid investor concerns about a possible recession in the US and the strengthening of the yen against the dollar.

Thus, at the end of the trading session, the Nikkei index lost 4,451.28 points and fell to 31,458.42 points. This is a historical low, surpassing the "Black Monday" in 1987, when Nikkei lost 3,836.33 points during trading.

Local observers attribute the decline in the Tokyo stock market to fears of a possible recession in the United States, where employment data on August 2 fell short of market expectations. The decline continued after last Friday's plunge, when the Nikkei index fell by 5.8% on the back of weak US manufacturing data for July.

According to Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, the Japanese government does not comment on the stock market situation, as stock prices are determined by the market, but is closely monitoring the situation.

Another factor in the decline is the strengthening of the national currency, which is unfavorable for large exporters. On Monday, its rate reached around 142.6 yen per dollar.