Nikkei rises in choppy trade, companies with growth prospects gain

Japanese stocks rose on Friday in choppy trade as the likes of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd and Toshiba Corp gained on strong growth prospects, while concerns about the Ukraine crisis kept investors on edge.

The Nikkei stock average ended 0.3% higher at 14,199.59 after slipping in early trade. It shed 1.8% this week.

The broader Topix gained 0.5% to 1,165.51, while the new JPX-Nikkei Index 400 added 0.5% to 10,610.37.