Tokyo  - Stronger yen dragged Tokyo stocks down Thursday as it erodes overseas earnings of Japanese firms.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average fell 177.37 points, or 1.8 per cent, to 9,663.48 as investors sold export-oriented issues.

The broader-based Topix index was also down 15.8 points, or 1.71 per cent, to 907.23.

On the currency markets at 9 am (0000 GMT), the dollar traded at 95.94-99 yen, down from Wednesday's 5 pm quote of 96.46-49 yen.

The euro traded at 1.3965-70 dollars, up from late Wednesday's quote of 1.3897-3900 dollars, and at 134.05-10 yen, almost unchanged from 134.08-12 yen. (dpa)