Japanese shares started the week on the negative note as solid Yen continued to pressurize exporters. Moreover, slower growth in China coupled with disagreements among the EU leaders regarding the next region's budge created pressure on the index. The Nikkei 225 Index shed 0.45% to close at 9,069.29. Only four in ten sectors within the index gained. The top-performers were telecommunication companies, with KDDI and Softbank climbing 2.96% and 0.95%. Sending the Japanese equity index lower, basic materials and technology firms tumbled 1.53% and 1.21%. Asahi Kasei, Dowa Holdings and Hokuetsu Kishu Paper slumped 0.48%, 1.83% and 0.25%, respectively. Among technology companies, Canon and Citizen Holdings dropped 3.86% and 1.88%. Automakers also moved lower after Bank of America Merrill Lynch stated that Japan's auto sales dropped about 60% in China's province of Guangdong since the beginning of anti-Japanese protests. Suzuki Motor, Toyota Motor and Mazda Motor dipped 0.48%, 1.56% and 4.04%, respectively.