Japan's Nikkei share average opened lower on Friday as pessimism increased about the inability of euro zone leaders to agree on a solution to the region's debt crisis, although there were hopes for a market recovery later in the day on short-covering.
The Nikkei fell 0.6 percent to 8,823.57, while the broader Topix dipped 0.4 percent to 755.80.
The Nikkei has fallen 12 percent so far in the second quarter, which ends on Friday, wiping out much of the first-quarter's 19.3 percent surge, the biggest first-quarter gain in 24 years.
