The market opened with a slight decline as the Japanese government plans to expand a state of emergency it declared for the Tokyo region last week to seven additional prefectures in an effort to stem the spread of COVID-19.
SoftBank was in the spotlight after it scored a $11.2 billion gain in the value of its stake in DoorDash Inc following the US food delivery app's blockbuster stock market debut on Wednesday.
The benchmark Nikkei share average rose 1.04% to 26,743.52 by the midday break, after declining for three straight sessions. The broader Topix added 0.88% to 1,774.24.
"Markets remain in consolidation mode as we await Brexit and US stimulus developments," added Rodigo Catrill, senior strategist at National Australia Bank.
Hydrogen product maker Iwatani jumped 10.1% after the Nikkei business daily reported that the Japanese government was likely to set a target to expand the use of hydrogen to 10 million tonne by 2030 to meet its emission goal.