Japanese shares bounced back on Thursday for the first rise in two trading days as the sentiment was buoyed by a weaker yen and better-than-expected Chinese manufacturing data.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average gained 295.62 points or 2.11 per cent to end at 14,337.79 while the broader-based Topix index was up 19.29 points, or 1.68 per cent, at 1,169.34.
Exporters traded higher as the yen declined against major currencies.
A weaker yen makes Japanese goods more competitive abroad and improves repatriated revenues.
In China, the HSBC Purchasing Managers’ Index climbed to 49.7 in May, the highest in five months, from 48.1 in April.
In Tokyo, on currency markets at 3 pm (0600 GMT), the dollar traded at ¥101.68-70, up from Wednesday’s 5 pm quote of ¥100.94-96 yen.
The euro was quoted at ¥138.96-139.00, up from ¥138.45-47 late Wednesday, and at $1.3665-3667, down from $1.3713-3716.