TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Tokyo stocks fell sharply Wednesday to snap a four-day winning streak, as selling was fueled by concerns over political uncertainty ahead of the general election and slowing semiconductor demand.

The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average ended down 730.25 points, or 1.83 percent, from Tuesday at 39,180.30. The broader Topix index finished 32.91 points, or 1.21 percent, lower at 2,690.66.

On the top-tier Prime Market, decliners were led by precision equipment, electric appliance and chemical issues.

The U.S. dollar briefly weakened to the upper 148 yen range in Tokyo on yen buying after Bank of Japan policymaker Seiji Adachi, seen as holding a dovish stance, said that conditions have been met for the central bank to normalize its monetary policy.

But the dollar soon strengthened to the mid-149 yen range, as Adachi also said in his speech that the pace of interest rate hikes should be "very moderate," according to dealers.

At 5 p.m., the dollar fetched 149.44-46 yen, compared with 149.15-25 yen in New York and 149.23-25 yen in Tokyo at 5 p.m. Tuesday.

The euro was quoted at $1.0882-0883 and 162.63-67 yen against $1.0887-0897 and 162.38-48 yen in New York and $1.0898-0899 and 162.64-68 yen in Tokyo late Tuesday afternoon.

The yield on the benchmark 10-year Japanese government bond ended at 0.950 percent, down 0.020 percentage point from Tuesday's close, following a drop in long-term U.S. Treasury yields after a New York state manufacturing index came in below market expectations.

On the equities market, the Nikkei index briefly slid over 2 percent after a recent Kyodo News poll showed a falling support rate for the Cabinet of Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, fueling caution over the outcome of the Oct. 27 general election, analysts said.

Losses were also led by chip stocks tracking Wall Street declines as major Dutch chip equipment maker ASML Holding N.V. revised down its 2025 earnings forecast on weakening demand for segments outside artificial intelligence.

"The technology falls weighed on investor sentiment from the start of today" after recent optimism in Japan, said Toshikazu Horiuchi, an equity strategist at IwaiCosmo Securities Co.

But with the world's largest contract chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. set to report its earnings results on Thursday, there is a chance of a recovery in technology shares, he added.