Tokyo stocks rose for the fourth trading day on Wednesday, driving a key index to hit a new seven-year high on overnight gains on Wall Streets and the yen's depreciation against the US dollar.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) advanced 57.21 points, or 0.32 percent, from Tuesday to 17,720.43, the highest close since July 25, 2007.
The broader Tokyo Stock Price Index, which includes all First Section issues on the TSE, also gained 1.90 points, or 0.13 percent, to 1,429.75, led by steel issues.
On Tuesday, the Dow Jones industrial average and The S&P 500 Index closed higher. The yen's depreciation against the US dollar also prompted Japanese investors to buy export-oriented issues, such as automakers. In the currency market, at 4:15 p.m. (0715 GMT), the dollar fetched JPY 119.24-26 against JPY 119.16-26 in New York and JPY 118.81-82 in Tokyo at 5 p.m. Tuesday.