TOKYO: Tokyo shares climbed 1.16 percent Thursday morning thanks to a weaker yen, a jump on Wall Street driven by upbeat US jobs data and hopes for a deal to keep Greece in the eurozone.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange climbed 235.27 points to 20,564.59 by the break, while the Topix index of all first-section shares was up 0.91 percent, or 14.87 points, to 1,651.28.
US shares rallied after a gauge of US manufacturing activity for June came in at its highest level in five months, while a survey of private job creation marked its strongest reading this year.
Investors are now turning their focus to non-farm payrolls later Thursday, which is expected to supply more evidence that the world’s top economy is gaining strength.
On Wall Street the Dow rose 0.79 percent, the S&P 500 was up 0.69 percent and the Nasdaq tacked on 0.53 percent.
The figures will also firm expectations that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates, possibly in September, pushing the dollar up against the yen.
