Japanese shares rose Wednesday as market sentiment
was buoyed by a weaker yen and the Bank of Japan's decision on
additional monetary-easing measures.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average gained 108.44 points, or
1.19 percent, to end at 9,232.21 while the broader-based Topix index was up 6.44 points, or 0.85 percent, at 764.8.
The central bank said it would expand an asset-purchase programme to about $1.02 trillion (80 trillion yen) from 70 trillion yen
to help prop up the world's third-largest economy amid a global economic slowdown and the yen's rise.
Key stocks got a boost by the move and the yen's subsequent decline against major currencies. A weaker yen makes Japanese goods
less expensive overseas and improves repatriated earnings.
Shares in Advantest Corp surged 4.95 per cent, Honda Motor Co gained 2.69 percent, Toyota Motor Corp rose 1.88 percent, Canon Inc jumped 1.74 percent and construction machinery maker Komatsu Ltd was
up 1.21 percent.
Japan Airlines Co (JAL), which filed for bankruptcy in January
2010, was relisted Wednesday on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, to a positive response from investors.
Shares were fetching 3,810 yen (48.40 dollars) at the opening bell, up from the offering price of 3,790 yen, and ended the day at
3,830 yen.
JAL's relisting after its rescue by a state-backed fund was the second-biggest initial public offering this year after Facebook Inc,
and marked one of the most successful corporate turnarounds in Japan in recent years.
On currency markets at 3 pm (0600 GMT), the dollar traded at 79.16-17 yen, up from Tuesday's 5 pm quote of 78.72-74 yen.
The euro was quoted at 103.52-62 yen, up from 102.95-99 yen late
Tuesday, and at 1.3080-3082 dollars, little changed from 1.3078-3080 dollars.
