TOKYO: Japanese stocks rose on Tuesday as signs of progress in developing a Covid-19 vaccine boosted investor confidence about a recovery in the global economy.

The Nikkei index ended up 0.73% at 22,884.22, with the healthcare and technology sectors leading the advance.

Initial findings from trials of three potential Covid-19 vaccines have shown encouraging results, raising hopes for a medical solution to a global pandemic that has triggered a sharp recession and caused more than half a million deaths.

There were 72 advancers on the Nikkei index against 148 decliners.

The largest percentage gainers in the index were pharmaceutical firm Daiichi Sankyo Co Ltd, up 5.63%, followed by Z Internet services firm Holdings Corp, gaining 5.39%, and silicon wafer maker Sumco Corp, up by 4.24%.

The largest percentage losers in the index were Taiheiyo Cement Corp, down 4.01%, followed by Nippon Steel Corp, losing 3.33%, and auto maker Isuzu Motors Ltd, down by 3.13%.

Shares of mobile phone network operators NTT Docomo Inc, KDDI Corp, and Softbank Corp dropped following a report that the Japanese government was considering preventing wireless carriers from charging customers fees when they switch providers.

The broader Topix rose 0.36% to 1,582.74.

The volume of shares traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's main board was 1.15 billion, compared with the average of 1.25 billion in the past 30 days.