Nikkei hits 4-week closing high on Wall Street rally

The Nikkei average advanced to a four-week closing high on Tuesday after a rally in Wall Street shares to historic highs triggered short-covering in battered Japanese stocks.

The Nikkei rose 1.4% to 15,051.60, its highest close since January 29. It has recovered more than 40% of its losses since it fell from a six-year peak hit in late December.

Shares of Softbank Corp climbed to their highest in a month on a report that the company is seeking to buy a stake in Line Corp, a mobile-messaging service controlled by South Korea's Naver Corp.

The broader Topix index rose 1.2% to 1,233.66.

The JPX-Nikkei Index 400, an index launched this year comprising firms with high return on equity and strong corporate governance, rose 1.2% to 11,159.39.