Japan's Nikkei share average extended the previous session's gains on Friday, probing 26-year highs as banking and brokerage shares rose, while Toshiba shares firmed on news of a buyer for its Westinghouse Electric unit.

The Nikkei was up 0.2 per cent at 23,547.78 at the end of morning trading, touching levels unseen since January 1992. The previous session's 3.3 per cent gain put it on track for a rise of 3.4 per cent for the holiday-shortened week.

Outperforming sectors also included iron and steel, up 1.7 per cent, non-ferrous metal, up 1.7 per cent, and sea transportation, up 1.2 per cent. The broader Topix added 0.4 per cent to 1,872.03, its highest since November 1991, after it rallied 2.6 per cent in the previous session. Advancers outnumbered decliners 363 to 239, with 66 issues ending unchanged.

Shares of Toshiba Corp were up 2.89 per cent. An affiliate of Canada's Brookfield Asset Management had said on Thursday it would acquire Westinghouse Electric Co LLC, the bankrupt nuclear services company owned by Toshiba, for $4.6 billion.

The banking subindex was 1 per cent higher. Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group gained 1.5 per cent. The securities subindex rose 0.9 per cent after surging 4.9 per cent in the previous session. Nomura Holdings added 2.4 per cent.

Department store operator Takashimaya was down 3.2 per cent, after it had said on Thursday that December sales at its 13 stores eked out a 0.9 per cent rise from the year-earlier month, slowing from November's 3.9 per cent rise.

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