TOKYO, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks closed higher Friday as Wall Street's gains overnight set a solid tone early on with the yen's retreat against the U.S. dollar also buoying the market mood and giving exporters a boost.
The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average gained 195.90 points, or 0.97 percent, from Thursday to close day at 20,359.70.
The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, meanwhile, added 7.72 points, or 0.51 percent, to finish at 1,529.73.
U.S. shares advancing overnight was an initially positive trading cue for investors, with the yen's decline against the U.S. dollar further adding to a risk-on mood, local brokers said.
They added that further remarks made by U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell indicating that the Fed may pause its interest rate hikes in 2019, also brightened the market mood.
By the close of play, precision instrument, real estate, and electric power and gas-linked issues comprised those that advanced the most, and rising issues beat falling ones by 1,033 to 1,003 on the First Section, while 92 ended the day unchanged.
On the main section on Friday, 1,295.95 million shares changed hands, dropping from Thursday's volume of 1,308.92 million shares.
The turnover on the final trading day of the week came to 2,502.9 billion yen (23.11 billion U.S. dollars).
