TOKYO: Tokyo stocks rose 0.44 percent Friday in volatile trade as the Bank of Japan kept interest rates unchanged and held off on further easing measures.
The Nikkei 225 index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange closed up 38.71 points at 8,863.30, while the Topix index of all first-section shares firmed 0.24 percent, or 1.75 points, to 737.13.
The Nikkei rose in morning trade, propped up by better-than-expected US economic data, which helped the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average close up 0.60 percent to 13,575.36.
The early gains were erased after the BoJ said its policy board had voted unanimously to keep rates at between zero and 0.1 percent, while it has left an 80-trillion-yen ($1.02 trillion) asset purchase programme in place.
But the index recovered to end in positive territory.
US non-farm payroll and unemployment figures are due out later Friday, providing clues as to the state of the world's biggest economy.
"The US non-farm payrolls data will be critical," Hiroichi Nishi, general manager of equities at SMBC Nikko Securities, told Dow Jones Newswires."
The dollar changed hands at 78.37 yen in Tokyo afternoon trade against 78.48 in New York late Thursday.
The euro bought $1.3015 and 102.00 yen, compared with $1.3018 and 102.16 yen in New York.
Tokio Marine Holdings rose 0.49 percent to 2,015 yen on reports that big Japanese insurers, including the firm's non-life insurance unit, have stopped covering firms against riots in China.
Toyota Motor fell 1.61 percent to 3,045 yen after news reports said Toyota's sales in China plunged by half in September amid bitter anti-Japan protests over disputed islands claimed by both countries.
Tokyo financial markets will be closed on Monday for a national holiday. (AFP)
