TOKYO, June 1 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks closed higher Monday on expectations that more coronavirus-linked business restrictions being lifted in Tokyo would be another big step towards the nation's full economic restart.
The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average gained 184.50 points, or 0.84 percent, from Friday to close the day at 22,062.39, marking its highest closing level since Feb. 26.
The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, meanwhile, added 5.08 points, or 0.32 percent, to finish at 1,568.75.
Investor sentiment was lifted by hopes for the global economic revival, including Japan's, as more countries move to phase in more business activities, local brokers said.
In Japan's capital, businesses such as gyms, theaters and retailers not selling daily essentials were allowed to open their doors to the public again, as Tokyo entered its second phase of easing measures amid the coronavirus pandemic, they added.
"Investor confidence keeps growing with all these signs pointing to the economy getting back on track," Shingo Ide, chief equity strategist at the NLI Research Institute, was quoted as saying.
Market strategists here also said, however, some investors switched out of riskier assets like stocks and into the perceived safe haven yen currency, following the break down in social order across some major U.S. cities.
Protests and riots in the United States followed the viral video footage of an unarmed black man dying in police custody on a Minneapolis street last week.
As a result, the yen rose against its U.S. counterpart, and was quoted at 107.52-53 yen at 5 p.m compared with 107.81-91 yen in New York and 107.20-21 yen at 5 p.m. on Friday in Tokyo.
The euro, meanwhile, fetched 1.1148-1150 dollars and 119.87-91 yen against 1.1104-1114 dollars and 119.74-84 yen in New York and 1.1105-1106 dollars and 119.05-09 yen in late Friday afternoon trade in Tokyo.
The U.S. Philadelphia semiconductor index climbing 2.7 percent on Friday, saw related issues here gain ground, with Tokyo Electron adding 4.4 percent, Advantest leaping 5.8 percent, while Screen Holdings gained 4.7 percent.
Eased business restrictions in Tokyo helped lifted the hard-hit retailer sector, with heavily weighted Nikkei component Fast Retailing, operator of the Uniqlo chain of casual clothing stores, advancing 2.2 percent. Cosmetics markers Shiseido and Kao, meanwhile, gained 3.5 percent and 2.8 percent respectively.
By the close of play, securities house, electric power and gas, and electric appliance-related issues comprised those that gained the most, and issues that declined outpaced those that rose by 1,094 to 998 on the First Section, while 78 ended the day unchanged.
On the main section on Monday, 1.201 billion shares hanged hands, dropping from Friday's volume of 2.383 billion shares.
The turnover on the first trading day of the week came to 2.325 trillion yen (21.591 billion U.S. dollars). Enditem
