Overview
- The Nikkei 225 opened sharply higher after the holiday, up 349.49 points to 48,975.37 at 9:15 a.m.
- Intraday gains exceeded ¥500 as the index briefly reclaimed 49,000, with the morning close at 48,815.27, up ¥189.39.
- The advance cooled later in the session, leaving the index up 33.64 points at 48,659.52 by the close as TOPIX hovered near 3,297.63.
- Buying followed a stronger U.S. session and rising expectations for further Federal Reserve rate cuts, with AI-led gains abroad feeding demand for semiconductor shares in Tokyo.
- The yen traded around ¥156 per dollar in Tokyo and about ¥155.99–¥156.09 in New York, with persistent fiscal concerns tied to the Takaichi administration encouraging yen selling.