Nikkei falls 0.8% as oil tops US$100 on wider Middle East war

Japan's Nikkei share average dropped 0.8 per cent to 64,597.46 in Tokyo as oil rose above US$100 a barrel amid an escalating Middle East conflict, with Iran reporting attacks on 10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz. Expectations of faster Bank of Japan rate tightening and caution ahead of US inflation data and central bank decisions also weighed on the market.