The Nikkei index opened sharply higher Tuesday, climbing over 2 percent as investor sentiment was lifted by an overnight surge in Wall Street and the British government's announcement it would ditch controversial tax cuts.
In the first 15 minutes of trading, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average rose 540.61 points, or 2.06 percent, from Monday to 26,756.40. The broader Topix index was up 41.01 points, or 2.22 percent, at 1,888.59.
Every industry category on the top-tier Prime Market gained ground. Gainers were led by electric power and gas, wholesale trade and mining issues.
