TOKYO: Japanese shares rose 0.58 percent by noon, tracking US stocks, which closed near a three-year peak thanks to strong earnings reports particularly in the technology sector, dealers said.
The Nikkei index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange rose 55.85 points to 9,662.67 by the break. The Topix index of all first section shares added 0.30 percent or 2.48 points to 839.65.
Investors' sentiment improved on hopes of brighter US economic prospects amid generally strong corporate earnings, highlighted by Apple's record revenue and profits, dealers said.
"Great earnings numbers from both Apple and Intel this week are giving investors confidence that the US economy is trending up," Hiroichi Nishi, general manager of the equity division at Nikko Cordial Securities, told Dow Jones Newswires.
"And for now it is offsetting concerns over debt issues in Europe and nuclear worries."
Apple also nearly doubled its quarterly net profit on record iPhone sales.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 186.79 points or 1.52 percent to finish the session at 12,453.54 the highest closing level for the blue-chip index since June 5, 2008.
Takuya Yamada, senior portfolio manager at ITC Investment Partners, however, said Japan's market would likely be capped by caution and volumes would remain weak ahead of a slew of Japanese corporate results next week.
Apple-linked stocks were mostly higher, with chip makers Toshiba up 1.44 percent by noon and Elpida Memory up 2.81 percent while Infoteria, which develops mobile software for Apple, gained 1.38 percent.
Softbank, the exclusive provider of Apple products in Japan, was down 1.16 percent on profit-taking following its recent gains.
Tokyo Electric Power, the operator of the troubled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, fell 2.69 percent.
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