TOKYO: Tokyo stocks rose 1.54 percent to close at a new six-month high Monday, with sentiment buoyed by a weaker yen and a deal on Iran's nuclear programme.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 index added 237.41 points to 15,619.13, the best finish since its May 22 close of 15,627.26, which was highest close in more than five years.
The Topix index of all first-section issues gained 0.88 percent, or 11.04 points, to 1,259.61.
Sentiment got a boost after Iran on Sunday agreed to curb its nuclear programme for the next six months in exchange for limited sanctions relief.
"This may be an historic event," Kenichiro Ikezawa, fund manager at the foreign fixed-income group of Daiwa SB Investments, told Dow Jones Newswires.
He added that the deal had eased tensions in the powder-keg Middle East.
On currency markets, the dollar rose to a six-month high of 101.84 yen in Tokyo, well up from 101.23 yen in New York Friday afternoon and its highest level since late May.
Another positive trading peg was bullish US stocks, which continued to power to new peaks Friday, with the S&P 500 closing above 1,800 for the first time and the Dow also climbing after ending above the 16,000 for the first time Thursday.
In Tokyo share trading, mobile carrier SoftBank jumped 5.39 percent to 8,590 yen on news that US hedge fund billionaire Daniel Loeb's Third Point had taken a 1.0 percent stake in the firm.
A spokesman for Third Point confirmed Monday that it had invested more than $1.0 billion in Softbank, which took over US giant Sprint-Nextel in a $21.6 billion deal this year.
Among major exporters Toyota was up 1.41 percent at 6,430 yen and Canon shares rose 1.21 percent to 3,325 yen. (AFP)
