The Nikkei index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange, which lost 2.91 percent Thursday over intensifying worries about Italy, opened up 45.12 points at 8,545.92. Investors were reassured by gains in US stocks following an improvement in jobless claims data and some easing of European debt concerns after the yield on 10-year Italy government bonds moved off recent highs, brokers said. But Hiroichi Nishi, general manager of SMBC Nikko Securities, said any gains were likely to be limited ahead of the weekend. "The key issues that are still dogging the market are the European debt problems and questions of whether the global economic outlook will brighten, whether the round of downward revisions in Japanese corporate earnings is winding up, and whether investment money will return," he said. Investors are also awaiting a formal announcement by Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda that the country will join Pacific free trade talks, he told Dow Jones Newswires. Noda is expected to hold a press conference later Friday to make the announcement. The euro bought $1.3612 and 105.70 yen in early Asian trade, slightly up from $1.3599 and 105.58 yen in New York late Thursday. The dollar was almost flat, changing hands at 77.65 yen. US stocks rebounded in rocky trade Thursday amid signs of movements in Italy and Greece to address their deep debt problems. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.96 percent at 11,894.01 in closing trade. Positive US weekly jobs numbers encouraged traders with new claims for unemployment benefits falling to a seven-month low of 390,000 in the week ending November 5, a better figure than economists had predicted.