Exporters send Tokyo markets higher

In the first trading day since the beginning of the new year, the Tokyo equities markets were higher Thursday as export-dependent shares gained on a weak yen. The Nikkei 225 added 0.74 percent to 17,353.67, while the Topix index was 1.06 percent higher to 1,698.

In the electronics sector, Sony was up 1.8 percent to ¥5,190, while Matsushita added 2.3 percent to ¥2,430 even though it is facing a legal challenge to its patent on Bluetooth technology. Hitachi, meanwhile, was 6.1 percent higher to ¥787 on hopes raised by its joint venture in power generation with US company General Electric.

Carmakers were also helped by the yen’s weakness. Honda gained 1.1 percent to ¥4,750, while Nissan was up 1.4 percent to ¥1,454. Toyota was 1.8 percent higher to ¥8,110. Expectations are that Toyota could take over as the world’s biggest automobile manufacturer this year.

In the telecommunications sector, NTT DoCoMo added 3.2 percent to ¥194,000 on reports that it is looking to keep costs low while it builds a new, “super” 3G network.

The oil sector saw declines on the session after declines in the price of crude oil. Japan Petroleum Exploration dropped almost 2 percent to ¥6,940. Refiner Idemitsu Kosan was 2.84 percent lower to ¥11,640.

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