The Nikkei 225 Index rose 0.43% to close at 51,282, while the broader Topix Index gained 0.67% to 3,382 on Thursday, with the latter hitting fresh record highs after President Donald Trump signed a bill ending the longest US government shutdown in history. Optimism that the Federal Reserve will cut rates further amid signs of US labor market weakness also lifted global sentiment. In Japan, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi urged the Bank of Japan to keep interest rates low. Major gainers included Fujikura (+3.1%), Advantest (+4.2%), Mitsubishi UFJ (+2.1%), Tokyo Electric Power (+6.2%), and Furukawa Electric (+12.2%). Toyota Motor edged up 0.3% after announcing plans to invest up to $10 billion in the US over the next five years to strengthen its operations. Meanwhile, SoftBank Group fell 3.4%, extending a roughly 25% slide from record highs amid deepening losses in its technology and AI-related holdings.
