TOKYO: Japan’s Nikkei 225 index has closed above 20,000 points for the first time in 15 years after the country recorded its first trade surplus in three years.
The index ended the day up 224.81 points, or 1.1%, at 20,133.90.
Chinese stocks continued their recent bull run, with Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index up 0.3% and the Shanghai Composite rallying 2.4% to a fresh, seven-year high.
Meanwhile South Korea saw the Kospi index close flat at 2,143.89 points.
In Japan, stocks rallied as the country logged a trade surplus in March after the weaker yen boosted exports and cheaper oil prices lowered its import bill.
The trade balance came in at 229.3bn yen ($1.9bn; £1.3bn) in March, beating market expectations for a surplus of 44.6bn yen.
Exports rose by 8.5% from a year earlier, while imports fell by 14.5%.
