Tokyo stocks close higher after Donald Trump leaves hospital

Tokyo stocks closed higher on Tuesday, extending Wall Street rallies after US President Donald Trump returned to the White House following hospital treatment for Covid-19.

The benchmark Nikkei 225 index rose 0.52 percent, or 121.59 points, to 23,433.73, while the broader Topix index advanced 0.52 percent, or 8.50 points, to 1,645.75.

"The market took President Trump's discharge from hospital as good news," said Toshikazu Horiuchi, a broker at IwaiCosmo Securities.

The gain came after US shares rebounded on Monday as reports suggested Trump's health had improved.

"But since his release from hospital had already been factored in, the gain was limited," Horiuchi told AFP.

The dollar fetched 105.66 yen in Asian afternoon trade, against 105.72 yen in New York and 105.58 yen in Tokyo late Monday.

Before the opening bell in Tokyo, Trump checked out of hospital, pulling off his mask the moment he reached the White House and vowing to quickly get back on the campaign trail.

Democratic White House hopeful Joe Biden's increasing lead in weekend polls in the US presidential race -- another factor that mitigates political uncertainties in the future -- is also supporting the market, analysts said.

SoftBank surged 2.41 percent to 6,913 yen, Toyota rose 0.70 percent to 6,958 yen and Nissan was up 0.85 percent at 390.1 yen.

Nintendo gained 0.75 percent to 57,350 yen, but Sony lost 0.81 percent to 7,828 yen.