Tokyo stocks closed lower Thursday as investor sentiment was dented following threats made by U.S. President Donald Trump of a government shutdown to raise funds for his proposed U.S.-Mexico border wall.

The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average lost 80.87 points, or 0.42 percent, from Wednesday to end the day at 19,353.77.

The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, meanwhile, fell 7.85 points, or 0.49 percent, to finish at 1,592.20.

Iron and steel, securities and marine transportation-linked issues comprised those that declined the most by the close of play, and retreating issues outpaced advancing ones by 1,006 to 878 on the First Section.

Local brokers said that the market here continued to be weighed down by remarks made by Trump threatening a government shutdown if Congress doesn't make the U.S. taxpayers pay for his proposed wall along the U.S.-Mexico border.

They said market fears were growing that in such an eventuality U.S. businesses would be severely affected.

Traders here also pointed to a circumspect mood on Thursday ahead of a meeting of central bankers in the U.S. later in the day, with investors also hitting the sidelines ahead of speeches scheduled by Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen and European Central Bank President Mario Draghi on Friday.

On the main section on Thursday, 1,442.22 million shares changed hands, dropping marginally from Wednesday's volume of 1,453.32 million shares.

The turnover on the penultimate trading day of the week came to 1,748.3 billion yen (15.98 billion U.S. dollars).