Tokyo stocks took another dive Thursday morning, driving the benchmark Nikkei index below the 15, 000 threshold for the first time in about six months on continued falls in U.S. shares overnight.

The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average fell 346.39 points, or 2.29 percent, to end the morning at 14,749.62, dropping below 15,000 for the first time since Dec. 1, 2005.

The Tokyo Stock Price Index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange declined 39.23 points, or 2.56 percent, to 1, 494.31.

Source: Xinhua