Tokyo stocks open down 0.63%

Tokyo stocks opened 0.63 percent lower on Tuesday after the dollar fell against the yen while US stocks weakened.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 index, which closed at its best level since December 2007 on Monday, gave up 96.02 points to 15,264.79 at the start.

"Given the market's recent steep advances and Nikkei futures' weakness, stocks could easily see more consolidation," said Hiroichi Nishi, SMBC Nikko Securities' general manager of equities.

"With the persistently heavy foreign buying interest in the market, however, the downside appears to be limited," he said.

US stocks slipped Monday after surging to new record-high closes last week, as investors looked ahead to Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke's testimony to Congress this week.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 0.12 percent to 15,335.28 and the broad-market S&P 500 lost 0.07 percent to 1,666.29.

The dollar eased to 102.16 yen in early Asian trade Tuesday from 102.26 yen in New York late Monday and the upper-102 yen range in Tokyo on Monday.

The euro bought $1.2887 and 131.72 yen compared with $1.2884 and 131.76 yen in New York.

-- Dow Jones Newswires contributed to this article --