Australia's ASX 200 was down 0.46 percent in early trade, weighed heavily by losses in its energy sub-index as oil prices plunge.
Nikkei futures traded higher than the benchmark index's Friday finish at 19,454.33; Osaka futures traded at 19,600, while Chicago futures were at 19,475. Japanese markets were shut on Monday for holiday.
Stateside, the Dow Jones industrial average retreated from its march to 20,000, slipped 0.38 percent to 19,887.38, while theS&P 500fell 0.35 percent to end at 2,268.9 while the Nasdaq composite finished up 0.19 percent, to 5,531.82.
In currency markets, the dollar index lost ground to trade at 101.84, compared to highs of 102.29 yesterday. The yen rose against the dollar at 115.88, while the Australian dollar was stronger at $0.7357.
Crude prices dropped 4 percent on Monday during U.S. hours, on concerns that record Iraqi crude exports and rising U.S. production would undermine the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries recent deal to cut supply. In Iraq, oil exports from the southern Basra ports reached a record high of 3.51 million barrels per day in December, Reuters reported.
U.S. crude fell $2.03 at $51.96 a barrel, while Brent finished down $2.16 at $54.94.
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