Tokyo stocks ended lower Thursday as some heavyweight semiconductor-related shares declined, with the benchmark Nikkei stock index briefly sinking over 3 percent.

The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average ended down 1,915.97 points, or 2.79 percent, from Wednesday at 66,835.54.

The broader Topix index, meanwhile, finished 59.33 points, or 1.45 percent, lower at 4,028.79.

Stocks came under selling pressure, dragged down by some heavyweight technology issues tracking overnight declines in their U.S. counterparts, analysts said.