Japanese shares plunged on Thursday, with the Nikkei average hitting a four-month low, as SoftBank Group and expensive stocks were pummelled by U.S. inflation scare. The Nikkei dropped 2.49% to 27,448.01, hitting its lowest level since early January. Over the past three sessions, the index has lost 7.01%, its biggest three-day fall since the market turmoil in March 2020.