Asia markets were mixed on Monday after most were shut for Good Friday, with a weaker yen helping to bolster Japan shares.
The Nikkei 225 in Tokyo gained 131.62 points, or 0.8%, to 17,134.37
Markets in Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand were shuttered for holiday.
On the currency front, fresh strength in the greenback helped to push down the yen, with the U.S. dollar/yen pair trading at 113.52 in the afternoon local time, compared with 113.04 on Friday.
One commentator said in a note Monday that fiscal year-end repatriation flows could cap the current dollar/yen move higher. Japan's fiscal year ends March 31.
Japanese exporters ended the session higher, with shares of Toyota up 0.7%, Nissan up 0.9% and Honda adding 0.6%. Usually a weaker yen is a positive for exporters as it boosts their overseas profits when converted into local currency.
In corporate news, Sharp shares closed up 4% after Reuters cited sources saying the troubled electronics maker is set to sign its takeover deal by Taiwanese manufacturer Foxconn by this week. In recent weeks, the deal had stalled after Sharp revealed around $2.66 billion U.S. of previously undisclosed contingent liabilities.
Energy plays in Asia were mixed, with shares of Inpex closing down 0.4%, Fuji Oil higher by 2.1%.
The Australian dollar climbed against the U.S. dollar, trading at $0.7525 in the evening local time, not far from levels as high as $0.7533 on Friday, but off lows around $0.7490 touched earlier in the day.
This week sees a slew of important data releases, with investors looking ahead to U.S. non-farm payroll numbers for March and the Bank of Japan's Tankan survey of business sentiment, both due Friday.
CHINA
In Shanghai, the CSI 300 slipped 28.09 points, or 0.9%, to 3,169.73
Chinese mainland shares of energy concern Sinopec added 0.3%.
The Chinese yuan was nearly flat against the dollar, with the U.S. dollar/yuan pair at 6.5143.
In other markets;
In Korea, the Kospi index doffed 1.27 points, or 0.1%, to 1,982.54
In Taiwan, the Taiex Index dropped 14.52 points, or 0.2%, to 8,690.45
In Singapore, the Straits Times Index shed 17.1 points, or 0.6%, to 2,830.29
