TOKYO, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks closed higher on Thursday as investors took cues from gains in U.S. tech stocks and a pause in the Japanese yen's appreciation.
Japan's benchmark Nikkei stock index, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average, snapped its seven-day losing streak by ending up 1,213.50 points, or 3.41 percent, from Wednesday to close the day at 36,833.27, marking its third-largest gain this year.
The broader Topix index, meanwhile, finished 61.83 points, or 2.44 percent, higher at 2,592.50.
Market watchers here noted that the rally in Tokyo was spurred by a strong performance in the U.S. markets, where the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite saw significant overnight gains.
The optimism spilled over into Japanese semiconductor-related stocks, including Tokyo Electron, while the investor sentiment was further boosted by bullish comments from Nvidia's CEO on the future of AI chips, according to local analysts.
On the forex market, the yen's depreciation against the U.S. dollar to the 142-yen zone provided relief to exporters like Toyota and Honda, spurring buying in related sectors.
On the top-tier Prime Market, gainers were led by electric appliance, nonferrous metal and transportation equipment issues.
Advancing issues outnumbered decliners by 1,550 to 77, with 16 issues remaining unchanged. ■
