Tokyo  - Profit taking dragged down Japanese stocks in early Thursday trading, as investors awaited quarterly results from carmaker Toyota Motor Corp and the latest US employment data.

The key Nikkei 225 Stock Average dropped 113.63 points, or 1.15 per cent, to 9,760.68, wile the broader-based Topix index was down 6.49 points, or 0.74 per cent, to 874.78.

Toyota, the world's largest carmaker, is expected to report further losses when it releases its quarterly results later on Thursday.

On currency markets at 9 am (0000 GMT) the dollar traded at 90.68-70 yen, up from 90.55-56 yen from Wednesday's 5 pm quote. The euro was at 1.4864-66 dollars, up from 1.4745-46 dollars the previous day, and at 134.78-80 yen, up from 133.52-56 yen. (dpa)