TOKYO, Aug 24 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei average dropped below the closely watched 9,000 point mark for this first time in 15 months on Tuesday after U.S. stocks weakened, with a pick-up in corporate takeover activity failing to soothe concerns that the recovery is stalling.
The benchmark Nikkei slipped 1.5 percent to 8,983.93 points shortly after the opening, its lowest since May 2009, while the broader Topix declined 1.2 percent to 814.68.
The 9,000 to 9,100 area had been strong support for the Nikkei index since last year, halting several recent attempts to break through on the downside, but worries about Japan's economic recovery, heightened by the yen's climb this month to a 15-year high against the dollar, put persistent pressure on stocks. (Reporting by Aiko Hayashi; Editing by Edmund Klamann)