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Tokyo's Nikkei index jumped more than three percent at the open on Thursday following a rally in US tech stocks, as a weaker yen boosted investor sentiment.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 added 3.15 percent, or 1,123.20 points, to 36,742.97 in early trade, while the broader Topix index climbed 2.47 percent, or 62.41 points, to 2,593.08.
Investors are eyeing whether the Nikkei is able to sustain its momentum above the psychologically significant 36,000 point, brokerage house Monex said.
"The market is expected to gain sharply at the start of trading, given the cheaper yen and rallies in US high-tech shares," it said.
The dollar stood at 142.76 yen, compared with 142.38 yen overnight in New York. A weak yen is a plus for Japanese exporters as it boosts overseas profits.
On Wall Street on Wednesday, semiconductor stocks -- which have been under pressure in recent weeks -- were among the strongest performers as shares rebounded to finish higher following mixed US inflation data.
Artificial intelligence star Nvidia rose more than eight percent and Micron and Intel also notched big gains.
Investors saw the monthly consumer price index as likely to keep the Federal Reserve on track to cut interest rates while weakening the case for a larger reduction.
Among major shares in Tokyo, heavily weighted semiconductor firm Tokyo Electron soared 5.13 percent to 23,350 yen. Toyota jumped 2.70 percent to 2,487.5 yen.
Sony Group added 2.55 percent to 13,495 yen.