TOKYO, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi on Monday said the authorities are keeping close tabs on financial markets and economic developments both at home and abroad with a sense of urgency, after Japanese stocks plunged on concerns over the impact of the U.S. tariff hike.

At a regular press conference, the top government spokesman pledged the Japanese government will do "all it can" in terms of economic and financial policy management.

Meanwhile, Japanese Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato, who also oversees the Financial Services Agency, called on investors to respond to a sell-off in the Tokyo stock market in a "calm" manner.

The comments came after Tokyo stocks fell sharply in Monday morning trading, with the benchmark Nikkei stock index briefly plummeting as much as 8.8 percent, as sell-offs continued amid escalating fears over a trade war triggered by U.S. tariffs.

The U.S. dollar briefly weakened to the upper 144 yen zone, as the yen was sought amid lingering uncertainty over U.S. tariffs and their impact on the global economy, analysts said.

At noon, the U.S. dollar fetched 146.62-63 yen compared with 146.83-93 yen in New York and 146.27-29 yen in Tokyo at 5 p.m. local time Friday. Enditem

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