Tokyo stocks open 0.52% lower TOKYO stocks have opened 0.52 per cent lower despite a decision by the US central bank to keep its easy-money policies in place as the yen remained strong. The Nikkei 225 index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange was down 72.10 points to 13,727.25 at the start of trading on Thursday. "Foreign investor interest remains strong, but it has eased back without overarching buy catalysts of late," said Kenichi Hirano, market analyst at Tachibana Securities. So players will be looking to take profits and adjust positions based on individual corporate earnings and forecasts more than anything else. Trading volume is likely to be relatively light ahead of a four-day weekend, said traders. Japanese markets will be closed Friday and Monday for holidays. In New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 138.85 (0.94 per cent) to 14,700.95 on Wednesday following weak employment and manufacturing data. The Federal Reserve kept its $US85 billion ($A83.07 billion) a month bond-buying program in place, while raising the possibility that it could do more if necessary. The US dollar slipped to 97.19 yen in early Asian trade from 97.40 yen in New York on Wednesday afternoon. The euro also eased to 128.05 yen from 128.37 yen while holding steady at $US1.3177 against $US1.3180 in US trade ahead of a policy meeting of the European Central Bank. ECB policymakers are to meet in Slovakia on Thursday with widespread speculation that they could cut interest rates from current record lows and also unveil new measures to kick-start stymied bank lending.