Japan's benchmark Nikkei stock index ended below the key 16,000 line Monday for the first time in more than two months.

The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average fell 297.58 points, or 1.84 percent, to 15,857.87, ending below the 16,000 line for the first time since March 8.

The Tokyo Stock Price Index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange slid 22.71 points, or 1.39 percent, to 1,615. 86.

Mining and oil issues lost ground. Other major decliners included insurance, brokerage, wholesale and nonferrous metal issues. Meanwhile, fishery-related issues advanced notably.

Softbank was the most heavily traded issue by value. It fell 115 yen to 2,895 yen.

Sumitomo Metal Industries was the day's volume leader, down 9 yen to 492 yen.

Declining issues outpaced advancing ones 1,158 to 459, with 77 shares ending flat.

Trading volume on the TSE's main section came to 1,906.46 million shares against Friday's 1,905.00 million shares.

The TSE's Second Section index lost 4.23 points, or 0.09 percent, to 4,659.57 on a volume of 60.58 million shares. In Osaka, the near-term June Nikkei 225 index futures contract dropped 310 points to 15,800.

Source: Xinhua