Japanese stocks sprung back to life Thursday as soaring tech shares helped end a three-day losing streak.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 stock average rose 130.89 points, or 1.2 percent, to 10,868.41. The broader Topix index added 1.2 percent to 956.03.
The Nikkei's top gainer was electronics components maker TDK Corp., which surged 4.8 percent to 6,120 yen after Citigroup raised its rating on the issue to "buy-high risk" from "hold-high risk" the previous day.
"We now think structural reforms to the electronic components business are finally bearing fruit, and anticipate that losses will improve," Koto Ezawa, an analyst for Citigroup Global Capital Markets Japan, said in a report.
TDK's jump encouraged buying in the sector overall, which also benefited from a weaker yen and growing hopes for solid earnings results. Sony Corp. jumped 4.1 percent to 3,185 yen, Panasonic Corp. shot up 3.4 percent to 1,528 yen, and Canon Inc. finished 1.9 percent higher at 3,800 yen.
The softer yen, which increases the value of overseas earnings, gave a boost to automakers as well. Toyota Motor Corp. rose 2.1 percent to 4,190 yen.
Pioneer Corp. missed out on the day's rally, shedding 3.9 percent to 296 yen on share dilution worries. The maker of car navigation systems may raise 20 billion yen through a public offering, the Nikkei financial daily reported.
In currencies, the dollar rose to 91.64 yen from 91.22 yen. The euro fell to $1.4075 from $1.4104.