Japan’s Nikkei Stock Average fell for a third consecutive session on the 15th, declining 8.89 yen to close at 63,484.10, while the Tokyo Stock Price Index, or TOPIX, dropped 21.05 points to 4,037.16. Investors took a cautious stance ahead of monetary policy meetings in Japan and the United States, with the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) and the Bank of Japan set to provide clues about the path of interest rates. The market initially tracked losses in U.S. semiconductor shares, but SoftBank Group rebounded sharply after plunging the previous day on speculation that its portfolio company OpenAI might delay its U.S. IPO. The stock rose more than 7% at one point after falling more than 10% in the prior session, helping the Nikkei gain as much as 589.37 yen, or 0.93%, to 64,082.36 during morning trading. Kioxia and Murata Manufacturing also recovered, while some AI and semiconductor shares later came under renewed selling. Rising oil prices and interest rates weighed on the afternoon market, and investors continued to assess whether the correction in AI-related stocks had run its course. Concerns about higher oil prices affecting corporate earnings and consumer spending remain, suggesting volatile trading could continue in the near term.