Tokyo stocks rose Monday morning, as a wide range of issues were bought after the U.S. Dow Jones finished above 40,000 for the first time late last week.
The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average gained 559.54 points, or 1.44 percent, from Friday to 39,346.92. The broader Topix index was up 33.27 points, or 1.21 percent, at 2,778.89.
The U.S. dollar strengthened to briefly trade close to the 156 yen line in Tokyo amid views that the interest rate differential between Japan and the United States will remain wide, dealers said.
At noon, the dollar fetched 155.81-82 yen compared with 155.59-69 yen in New York and 155.81-83 yen in Tokyo at 5 p.m. Friday.
The euro was quoted at $1.0872-0876 and 169.40-47 yen against $1.0863-0873 and 169.17-27 yen in New York and $1.0858-0860 and 169.18-22 yen in Tokyo late Friday afternoon.
The yield on Japan's benchmark 10-year government bond briefly rose 0.030 percentage point from Friday's close to 0.975 percent, its highest level in around 11 years, tracking a gain in long-term U.S. Treasury yields.
Stocks climbed almost across the board, with the Nikkei benchmark rising above the 39,000 mark for the first time in over a month.
"The Dow Jones ending above the 40,000 line Friday helped improve investor confidence in Tokyo," said Masahiro Yamaguchi, head of investment research at SMBC Trust Bank.
The Nikkei index was lifted by buying in heavyweight semiconductor issues, but they are prone to profit-taking as investors may grow cautious ahead of an earnings release by U.S. chip giant Nvidia Corp. later this week, Yamaguchi said.
