TOKYO, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo shares closed lower on Thursday with the Nikkei index falling to its lowest level since Jan.24, as the yen's appreciation against the U.S. dollar hurt exporters and dampened market sentiment.
The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average ended down 233.50 points, or 1.22 percent, from Wednesday at 18,914.58.
The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange finished 17.36 points, or 1.14 percent, lower at 1,510.41.
Decliners were led by marine transportation, mining and transportation equipment.
The day's turnover was about 2,570.3 billion yen (around 22.79 billion U.S. dollars).
