Tokyo's Nikkei was flat by the break, Hong Kong rose 0.28 percent and Sydney added 0.12 percent while Seoul was 0.10 percent higher but Shanghai was 0.10 lower.
Shares in Japan were supported by a weaker yen, which has fallen on talk of an interest rate rise in the eurozone, an improving US economic outlook and growing appetite for risk.
As concerns ease over the potential for a meltdown at the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan, attention has turned to the global economy and hopes that the United States' recovery is on track.
Sentiment was given a boost by data from payrolls firm ADP showing US companies added 201,000 jobs in March.
With a third month of jobs creation above 200,000, ADP said the data "removes any remaining doubt that private nonfarm payroll employment accelerated heading into 2011."
The private-sector hiring figures stoked hopes for the government's keenly awaited March jobs data, which are due Friday, and lifted the Dow index 0.58 percent.
Confidence in US economic progress has led some senior Federal Reserve officials to talk of an end to the bank's $600 billion bond purchase scheme or quantitative easing and raised hopes of a possible interest rate rise.
The new-found optimism has sent the dollar higher and it was at 82.90 yen in morning Asian trade, slightly up from from 82.88 late in New York Wednesday and well up from the mid 81 range at the end of last week.
Speculation that the European Central Bank will raise interest rates has also provided upward pressure for the euro, which changed hands at 117.25 yen from 116.81. The euro was also up to $1.4144 from $1.4129.
The European currency has found support despite concerns of a sovereign debt crisis in the region.
Investors remained cautious however as Japanese crews worked to avert a disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi atomic plant, which was rocked by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
"Some overseas manufacturers have realised that they need to diversify their sources away from Japanese firms," Hideyuki Ishiguro, an investment strategy supervisor at Okasan Securities, told Dow Jones Newswires.
"So even if more Japanese firms restore production in coming months, they may face falling demand."
Oil was also higher on the US jobs data. New York's main contract, light sweet crude for delivery in May, rose 28 cents to $104.55 per barrel.
Brent North Sea crude for May delivery gained 20 cents to $115.33.
Gold opened at $1,424.50-$1,425.50 an ounce in Hong Kong, up from Wednesday's close of $1,421.070-$1,422.00.