The Nikkei 225 index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange gained 115.03 points to 8,754.71 by the break after topping the 8,700 mark for the first time since early November.
"A stronger euro is supporting the index's gain," said Daiwa Securities head of investment strategy and research department Kazuhiro Takahashi.
The Topix index of all first-section issues added 11.88 points or 1.60 percent to 752.56.
The euro bought $1.2957 and 99.90 yen in Tokyo morning trade, compared with $1.2961 and 99.97 late Thursday in New York where the common currency rose on successful debt auctions by France and Spain.
The euro was much lower a day earlier in Tokyo, trading at $1.2849 and 98.59 yen.
The dollar was at 77.10 yen against 77.15 yen in New York and 76.73 yen in Tokyo on Thursday.
The market was also supported by overnight gains in European and US shares on well-received European bond auctions as well as a sharp fall in US jobless figures.
Leading automakers were higher. Honda rose 3.26 percent to 2,659 yen and Toyota was up 3.43 percent at 2,711 yen.
Financials also rose sharply, with Nomura Holdings up 2.99 percent to 275 yen and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group up 3.47 percent to 2,354.
Solid bank earnings bumped the US stock market higher on Thursday, boosted by news that fewer Americans made new claims for unemployment benefits than at any point in the last three years.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 0.36 percent at 12,623.98.
Weekly new claims for US unemployment benefits fell to their lowest level since April 2008, while the consumer price index was unchanged for the second straight month in December amid easing energy prices, Labor Department data showed.