TOKYO: Tokyo stocks opened up 1.23 percent on Friday on the back of a stronger dollar and surging US stocks.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 index was up 172.89 points, to 14,178.66 at the start. The dollar was at 99.50 yen in early Asian trade, slightly down from 99.52 yen in New York Thursday afternoon but up from 98.63 yen in Tokyo the previous day.
The euro bought $1.3206 and 131.41 yen against $1.3208 and 131.45 yen in US trade. US stocks rallied Thursday on strong economic data from China, Europe and the United States, pushing the S&P 500 to an all-time closing high.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.83 percent at 15,628.02, while the S&P 500-stock index, a broad measure of the markets, jumped 1.25 percent to a record close at 1,706.87.
"The Nikkei will likely continue to advance as uncertainties surrounding global economies have waned and expectations for better earnings for Japanese exporters mount on the back of a stronger dollar," Hiroichi Nishi, general manager of equities at SMBC Nikko Securities, told Dow Jones Newswires.
