Japanese stocks gained as global technology stocks rallied, renewing investor hopes on artificial intelligence-related investments following a weeklong sell-off in chip stocks.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 closed up 2,494.59 points, or 4.03%, at 64,362.02.
Oil prices declined on improved crude and liquefied natural gas supply flows through key shipping routes even as escalating tensions between the US and Iran kept the Middle East outlook uncertain.
On the corporate side, Murata Manufacturing (TYO:6981) posted a 64% year-over-year jump in attributable profit for the fiscal first quarter to 81.4 billion yen from 49.7 billion yen.
Also, Otsuka (TYO:4578) raised its 2026 attributable profit forecast to 355 billion yen from 265 billion yen previously estimated, according to a Tokyo Stock Exchange filing on Friday.