Japanese stocks on a rise

The Nikkei index of leading Japanese shares has closed above 10,000 points for the first time in eight months.

The Nikkei-225 stock average closed up 154.49 points at 10,135.82 points, as global recovery hopes grew.

Investors were encouraged by a revised 5.9% rise in industrial output in April, the biggest gain in half a century.

Better-than-expected US sales and jobs data on Thursday also spurred hopes of a recovery.

The April data was revised up from 5.2% and was the biggest monthly gain since 1953.

The Nikkei has risen 44% since it reached a low of 7,000 on March 10 and 3.8% in the past week.

Among the gainers on Friday were CSK Holdings, up 19.05% at 500 yen, Nippon Soda, up 11.48% at 476 yen and Yahoo Japan, up 8.29% at 30,550 yen.