The Nikkei rose for a third day on Friday on growing confidence in the US economy and hopes of aggressive stimulus steps in Europe, while Fast Retailing Co rose after reporting strong quarterly profits.
The Nikkei advanced 0.2 per cent to end at 17,197.73 after dipping into negative territory earlier. For the week, it dropped 1.5 per cent.
The broader Topix added 0.2 per cent to 1,380.58, and the new JPX-Nikkei Index 400 gained 0.2 per cent to 12,495.99.
Index-heavy Fast Retailing gained 0.8 per cent and contributed a hefty 40 points to the benchmark Nikkei index after reporting strong first quarter profits.