Tokyo stocks closed higher on Thursday, supported by tech-related shares after Wall Street’s Nasdaq index gained.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 index climbed 0.81 percent, or 321.29 points, to end at 39,773.14, while the broader Topix index rose 0.94 percent, or 25.49 points, to 2,732.00.
“The Nikkei index sharply rebounded following gains of US tech shares,” IwaiCosmo Securities said.
“Semiconductor-related stocks were widely bought, while major export stocks also boosted the Nikkei.”
US stocks finished little changed on Wednesday following mixed economic indicators including stronger-than-expected payroll data and a weak reading for service sector growth.
But the tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index gained 0.2 percent.
IwaiCosmo Securities added that traders were in a wait-and-see mode ahead of the release of a US jobs report.
In Tokyo, chip-testing equipment maker Advantest gained 0.79 percent to 6,350 yen, while Sumco, which manufactures silicon wafers, soared 4.17 percent to 2,609 yen.
Automakers were higher, with Toyota jumping 1.30 percent to 3,667 yen and Honda rising 1.04 percent to 1,848 yen.
Market heavyweight SoftBank Group advanced 1.07 percent to 8,780 yen.
The dollar fetched 151.65 yen, against 151.70 yen in New York.
