The Nikkei 225 Index fell 0.6% to below 69,500 on Wednesday, extending the previous session’s losses as a technology-driven selloff on Wall Street weighed on sentiment amid growing concerns over heavy AI spending by hyperscalers. In Japan, the Summary of Opinions from the Bank of Japan’s June meeting showed that policymakers generally favored continuing interest rate hikes, citing underlying inflation moving closer to the central bank’s 2% target while financial conditions remain supportive. On the geopolitical front, progress in US-Iran peace negotiations helped increase traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, easing pressure on global energy supplies and reducing inflation concerns. Among notable decliners, Fujikura dropped 2.7%, Tokyo Electron lost 2.2%, Furukawa Electric fell 1.7%, Disco Corp slipped 2.2%, and Sumitomo Electric declined 1.6%.