Japan experienced the Nikkei 225's record one-day point loss during the 1987 Black Monday crash.
The Nikkei 225 is Japan's best-known stock-market index, tracking 225 major companies listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. On October 20, 1987, the index lost 3,836.48 points, its largest one-day point decline at that time. Asian markets were reacting to the sharp fall in American and European markets.
The crash was global. Hong Kong's market fell heavily before the New York session, and exchanges in Europe and North America also recorded major declines. Because markets operate across time zones, selling pressure moved around the world in waves.
Point losses and percentage losses should not be confused. A point figure depends on an index's numerical level, while a percentage better shows the relative size of a decline. The Nikkei's record point loss therefore does not automatically mean it suffered the world's largest percentage fall.