The Nikkei ended the morning session 0.41% higher at 28,353.34 after touching a high of 28,398.27, a level last seen on Dec. 1, 2022.
The broader Topix added 0.41% to 2,044.82. Earlier
in the session, the index reached 2,046.11, the highest since
November 2021.
The 10-year Treasury yield pared overnight gains
to edge lower in Tokyo trading to around 3.97%, moving away from
last week's multi-month high of 4.091%.
"Until Monday, after we've seen the market reaction to the
U.S. jobs report, the focus will be on U.S. long-term yields,"
said Kazuo Kamitani, a strategist at Nomura Securities.
"For today, the bottom range for Nikkei feels firm, but the
market seems a little bit heavy here," Kamitani said, adding one
focal point for investors is whether the Nikkei can keep above
the Nov. 24 closing level of 28,383.
Of the index's 225 components, 158 rose versus 62 down,
while five traded flat.
Energy was the best performing sector, up 1.39%, as crude
oil prices continued to edge higher amid hopes for China's
economic recovery.
Uniqlo store operator Fast Retailing supported the
benchmark the most, adding 38.5 index points with a 1.31% gain.
Chipmaking equipment giant Tokyo Electron was the
biggest drag, shaving off 16.4 points with a 0.99% slide.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries retreated from early
gains to be among the biggest losers with a nearly 2% drop. Its
fortunes flitted with its new H3 rocket, which was launched in
the morning but then destroyed after its second-stage engine
failed to ignite.
(Reporting by Kevin Buckland; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips)
