<p>Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei index advanced more than 1.3 percent on Tuesday after US and European markets bounced back on optimism over post-lockdown economic activity.</p>.<p>The Nikkei 225 index rose 1.33 percent, or 293.10 points, to close at 22,288.14 while the broader Topix index was up 0.62 percent, or 9.55 points, at 1,558.77.</p>.<p>"Investors bought on dips following sizable declines the previous day," Toshikazu Horiuchi, a broker at IwaiCosmo Securities, told AFP.</p>.<p>Sentiment was also supported by gains in US and European stocks on Monday as optimism over easing lockdowns outweighed fears of surging coronavirus infections.</p>.<p>"We expected that virus infection cases would rise again after lockdowns are lifted," said Makoto Sengoku, market analyst at Tokai Tokyo Research Institute.</p>.<p>"The view that the (global) economy will stay on a gradual recovery path still holds -- unless we see drastic spikes in deaths or critically ill patients," he told AFP, adding markets had fallen too much recently on excessive pessimism.</p>.<p>But it was unknown whether stocks would keep up their run with key economic indicators coming up later this week such as the June US payrolls report on Thursday.</p>.<p>"Since expectations are high, markets are prone to disappointment," Sengoku said.</p>.<p>Investors shrugged off weak economic data released from Japan early Tuesday, including rising unemployment and poor factory production for May.</p>.<p>"The negative figures were all factored in," Horiuchi said.</p>.<p>In individual stocks trade, telecoms and investment giant SoftBank Group rallied 1.30 percent to 5,450 yen while Uniqlo casual wear operator Fast Retailing gained 1.74 percent to 61,700 yen.</p>.<p>NTT rose 0.47 percent to 2,515.5 yen after the Nikkei business daily reported the telecom group would enter the renewable energy market.</p>.<p>The group will invest more than 1 trillion yen ($9.3 billion) by 2030 to boost capacity and establish its own transmission network, the daily said.</p>.<p>Nissan gained 1.14 percent to 399.2 yen and Toyota edged up 0.04 percent to 6,762 yen.</p>.<p>The dollar was trading at 107.76 yen in Asian afternoon trade compared with 107.56 yen in New York Monday afternoon.</p>
<p>Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei index advanced more than 1.3 percent on Tuesday after US and European markets bounced back on optimism over post-lockdown economic activity.</p>.<p>The Nikkei 225 index rose 1.33 percent, or 293.10 points, to close at 22,288.14 while the broader Topix index was up 0.62 percent, or 9.55 points, at 1,558.77.</p>.<p>"Investors bought on dips following sizable declines the previous day," Toshikazu Horiuchi, a broker at IwaiCosmo Securities, told AFP.</p>.<p>Sentiment was also supported by gains in US and European stocks on Monday as optimism over easing lockdowns outweighed fears of surging coronavirus infections.</p>.<p>"We expected that virus infection cases would rise again after lockdowns are lifted," said Makoto Sengoku, market analyst at Tokai Tokyo Research Institute.</p>.<p>"The view that the (global) economy will stay on a gradual recovery path still holds -- unless we see drastic spikes in deaths or critically ill patients," he told AFP, adding markets had fallen too much recently on excessive pessimism.</p>.<p>But it was unknown whether stocks would keep up their run with key economic indicators coming up later this week such as the June US payrolls report on Thursday.</p>.<p>"Since expectations are high, markets are prone to disappointment," Sengoku said.</p>.<p>Investors shrugged off weak economic data released from Japan early Tuesday, including rising unemployment and poor factory production for May.</p>.<p>"The negative figures were all factored in," Horiuchi said.</p>.<p>In individual stocks trade, telecoms and investment giant SoftBank Group rallied 1.30 percent to 5,450 yen while Uniqlo casual wear operator Fast Retailing gained 1.74 percent to 61,700 yen.</p>.<p>NTT rose 0.47 percent to 2,515.5 yen after the Nikkei business daily reported the telecom group would enter the renewable energy market.</p>.<p>The group will invest more than 1 trillion yen ($9.3 billion) by 2030 to boost capacity and establish its own transmission network, the daily said.</p>.<p>Nissan gained 1.14 percent to 399.2 yen and Toyota edged up 0.04 percent to 6,762 yen.</p>.<p>The dollar was trading at 107.76 yen in Asian afternoon trade compared with 107.56 yen in New York Monday afternoon.</p>