Asian stock markets were mostly lower Thursday, with shares in Seoul struggling amid heightened tensions surrounding North Korea, though the Nikkei rebounded after the Bank of Japan's announcement of additional easing measures.
In Japan, the Nikkei 225 index rocketed higher by another 272.34 points, or 2.2%, to close at 12,634.54
Markets in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Taiwan were closed Thursday for the tomb-sweeping holiday.
As the first meeting under new governor Haruhiko Kuroda concluded, the BOJ decided to launch an aggressive new easing campaign, providing the Tokyo market with incentives to outperform the region for the second straight session.
The central bank pledged to achieve a 2% inflation target in about two years, while taking additional easing action, such as increasing Japanese government bond holdings (JGB) at an annual pace of 50 trillion yen ($530 billion U.S.), with JGB holdings to double in two years. The bank will terminate its asset-purchase program, with asset purchases to be absorbed with JGB purchases, under its new easing scheme called "Quantitative and Qualitative Monetary Easing."
Financial and real estate-related shares showed the biggest impact from the new policy in Japan. Among banks, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group added 5.5%, while Mizuho Financial Group gained 5.1%. Daiwa Securities Group led big brokerages with a 4.1% advance.
Major exporters recovered in Tokyo with Nintendo up 2.0% and Toyota Motor 2.8% higher.
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries added 4.6% on a Nikkei report that the company, along with France's Areva SA., has clinched a joint contract to construct a nuclear power plant in Turkey.
In foreign exchange markets, the yen weakened against the U.S. dollar and the euro as investors welcomed the BOJ's new easing measures. The greenback was recently at ¥95.49 versus ¥93.05 late Wednesday in New York, while the euro was at ¥122.14 from ¥119.51.
South Korea's main index fell, extending its losing streak to four sessions amid continued concerns over North Korea's escalating military threats. The benchmark index fell more than 2% in early trade on a media report that Pyongyang demanded the withdrawal of all South Korean workers from an industrial zone in the North.
Index heavyweights were broadly lower, with Samsung Electronics losing 1.0% and KB Financial falling 1.1%.
Hyundai Motor fell 5.1%, while Kia Motors lost 3.3% after the two auto makers said they were recalling nearly 1.9 million vehicles in the U.S. to fix brake lights and air bags.
Resources plays weighed on the Australian market amid commodity price weakness including a decline in copper to an eight-month low overnight. BHP Billiton fell 1.5%.
Newcrest Mining dropped 5.2% and Rio Tinto lost 1.4%.
Investors were also focused on the European Central Bank's policy decision due later Thursday as well as Friday's U.S. jobs data for trading cues.
In other markets;
In Korea, the Kospi Index doffed 23.77 points, or 1.2%, to 1,959.45
The Singapore Straits Times Index fell 13.97 points, or 0.4%, to 3,307.80
In New Zealand, the NZX 50 added 17.32 points, or 0.4%, to 4,430.17
Australia’s ASX 200 shed 44.20 points, or 0.9%, to 4,913.48
