Nikkei falls as yen stays firm, languishes in bear market

The Nikkei share average fell in early trade on Monday as weak U.S. stocks and a stronger yen dampened already fragile sentiment, with the Japanese benchmark languishing in a bear market. The Nikkei shed 1 percent to 12,565.87, while the broader Topix index eased 0.6 percent to 1,050.25.