Japan's TOPIX stock index hit an all-time intraday high on Thursday, topping the previous record set more than 34 years ago.
The gains were led by semiconductors and other high-tech related shares. The rise in the TOPIX followed a record high set by the tech-heavy Nasdaq in New York on Wednesday.
The TOPIX index includes more than 2,100 companies. Its previous record was set in December 1989 amid Japan's asset-inflated bubble economy.