Tokyo stocks opened lower Tuesday as poor performance on Wall Street overnight set a weak tone, while the yen's advance against the U.S. dollar added to a dour market mood.

As of 9:15 a.m., the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average dropped 52.25 points, or 0.26 percent, from Monday to 19,856.33.

The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, meanwhile, fell 2.28 points, or 0.14 percent, to 1,589.27.

Precision instrument, securities and nonferrous metal-linked issues comprised those that declined the most in early trade.