TOKYO: Japan's Nikkei share average rose on Friday, as chipmaking giants tracked a rally in their US peers and energy shares surged after oil prices dipped.
However, gains were capped by a second straight day of losses for SoftBank Group. Alibaba Group, SoftBank group's largest asset, forecast on Thursday its slowest revenue growth since its 2014 trading debut.
The Nikkei added 0.41% to 29,718.62 as of the midday break, with energy by far the best performing sector, jumping 1.79%.
The broader Topix added 0.11%. The growth index rose 0.25%, compared with a small loss for the value index.
Chipmaker Tokyo Electron was the Nikkei's top performing stock, surging 4.88%. Advantest advanced 2.63%.
Overnight, the Philadelphia semiconductor index advanced 1.8% to hit its second record close in three sessions, buoyed this time by an earnings beat from Nvidia.
That helped the S&P 500 and Nasdaq to close at all-time highs.
Meanwhile, a dip in crude oil to six-week lows helped energy companies, as well as supporting investor sentiment more broadly.
Energy company Inpex advanced 3.11%.
"Inflation and the price of crude oil remain a big focus for investors," said Masahiro Ichikawa, chief market strategist at Sumitomo Mitsui DS Asset Management.
"The market likes the drop in crude below $80 because it should feed through eventually to lower prices for gasoline and other things, which is seen as a plus for the economy."
Elsewhere, Kubota jumped 4.3% on a plan to raise its stake in Indian tractor maker Escorts Ltd.
Sportswear maker Asics rose 2.84% after Japanese Major League Baseball star Shohei Ohtani was named American League MVP.
The Japanese government's announcement of a planned $490 billion stimulus package was largely ignored by the market, partly because the details were already reported by local media on Thursday. SoftBank Group slid 1.45%, adding to the previous session's 2% drop.
Tokyo Kikai tumbled 8.51% after Japan's supreme court dismissed a request to block a plan by the printing machinery maker for a "poison pill" takeover defence.
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