TOKYO, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks closed higher on Thursday, supported by overnight gains on Wall Street, but gains were trimmed as comments by a Bank of Japan (BOJ) policymaker rekindled expectations for interest rate hikes.
The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average ended up 170.27 points, or 0.29 percent, from Wednesday at 58,753.39, after briefly crossing the 59,000 line for the first time.
Meanwhile, the broader Topix index finished 37.18 points, or 0.97 percent, higher at 3,880.34, after also climbing to an all-time intraday high.
On the top-tier Prime Market, the main gainers were service, bank and marine transportation issues.
Some heavyweight technology shares rose after U.S. semiconductor giant Nvidia Corp. reported upbeat earnings, but their gains were trimmed later as gains in the U.S. tech giant stalled in after-hours trading on U.S. futures.
The Tokyo market also lost momentum on expectations for BOJ rate hikes after Hajime Takata, a hawkish BOJ board member, said in a speech in Kyoto that the central bank should stay on the path for more interest rate hikes. ■