A security guard walks at the Tokyo Stock Exchange in Tokyo Jan.13, 2009. The Nikkei average share slid 4.3% on Tuesday with Sony Corp tumbling on news of an operating loss and camera maker Canon Inc dropping on discouraging remarks about sales by its chairman. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    TOKYO, Jan. 13 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks closed nearly 5 percent lower Tuesday on news reports about an expected operating loss of Japanese consumer electronics giant Sony Corp.

    The benchmark 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average lost 422.89 points, or 4.79 percent, from Friday to 8,413.91. The Tokyo stock market was closed Monday due to a national holiday.

    The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange was down 40.90 points, or 4.78 percent, to 814.12.

    Sony Corp. is feared to suffer a consolidated operating loss of about 100 billion yen (1.12 billion U.S. dollars) for the year to March 31, 2009, its first loss in 14 years, local media reported Tuesday.

    Sony fell 195 yen, or nearly 9 percent, to 2,000 yen.

    Adding sore to the Japanese stock market is the plunging dollar against yen. The dollar traded in lower 89 yen level in Tokyo, sharply down from 94 yen middle last week. The appreciating Japanese currency erodes exporters’ profits.

    Export-oriented high-tech issues and auto shares were among the notable losers, with Toshiba losing 36 yen, or over 8 percent, to 385 yen, and value leader Toyota Motor sliding 195 yen, or over 6 percent, to 2,875 yen.

    On the First Section, declining issues outnumbered advancing ones 1,564 to 112, with 39 others remaining unchanged.

    Trading volume on the main section came to 1,912.22 million shares, up from Friday's 1,894.68 million.

    The TSE's Second Section index lost 17.07 points, or 0.87 percent, to 1,940.94 on a volume of 21.36 million shares. On the Osaka Securities Exchange, the near-term March Nikkei 225 index futures contract was down 480 points to 8,370.