Tokyo stocks finished lower in thin trading as the fall in New York overnight pulled Japanese shares down.

A lack of incentives also kept participants from building new positions ahead of the weekend.

The Nikkei 225 slipped 57 points to 14,640. The December Nikkei futures contract ended down 60 points at 14,640.

Masaru Arai, general manager of the stock division at Ryoko Securities, said the Nikkei is having difficulty breaking through and staying above 15,000. "The 15,000 wall is proving to be thick," he said.

In New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed 185 points lower, off 2%, at 8,880. US bank stocks suffered as worries about Brazil's economic recovery reemerged. US auto makers and technology stocks also fell.

The bearish mood on Wall Street spilled over into Tokyo, traders said.

The Tokyo Stock Price Index, covering all First Section issues, fell 8 points to 1,121.

Volume on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange was estimated at 344m shares, up slightly from 323m.