Japan's leading stock-market index rose for a second day Tuesday, led by export-related shares such as Toyota Motor Corp. after the yen extended declines against the U.S. dollar and the euro.
In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 index surged 153.65 points, or 0.90 percent, to finish at 17,163.20 while Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index advanced 90.16 points, or 0.5 percent, to 19,356.90.
Mitsui Fudosan Co., the country's biggest real estate developer by sales, rose 4.02 percent. Advancing retailers included Daiei Inc., which rose 2.11 percent.
Japanese financial markets will be closed Wednesday for the Spring Equinox Day, a national holiday. The markets will reopen on Thursday.
Elsewhere:
BANGKOK: Thai shares rose 0.4 percent to end at 671.76 in thin trade, thanks to gains in select blue chips.
JAKARTA: Indonesian shares slipped 0.1 percent to 1,775.42, pulled down by car distributor Astra, which plunged 2.2 percent after reporting poor February car sales.
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's main stock index jumped 1.1 percent, buoyed by buying from both local and foreign funds. The Kuala Lumpur Composite Index ended 13.06 points higher at 1,205.28.
MANILA: Philippine shares were barely changed as investors waited for stock prices to stabilize after last week's swings. The benchmark 30-company Philippine Stock Exchange Index dropped 2.07 points, or 0.07 percent, at 3,039.31.
MUMBAI: Indian shares ended higher for the second consecutive session, taking cues from strong global markets and led by gains in Ranbaxy Laboratories, cement and banking counters. The Sensex gained 0.5 percent, or 60.95 points, to 12,705.94.
SEOUL: South Korean shares rose for a fourth session, eking out a gain as demand for bank stocks helped make up for losses in blue chips. The Korea Composite Stock Price Index rose 0.78 point, marginal in percentage terms, to 1,444.17.
SHANGHAI: Chinese shares inched upward on optimism over corporate earnings. The benchmark Shanghai Composite Index, which tracks both A and B shares, rose 0.6 percent to 3,032.20, while the Shenzhen Composite Index jumped 1.3 percent to 794.91.
SINGAPORE: Singapore's benchmark Straits Times Index added 3.49 points, or 0.1 percent, to 3,116.88, after losing gains from morning trading as investors remained cautious ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve's decision this week on interest rates.
TAIPEI: Taiwan shares ended flat as food stocks' rise was offset by losses in the steel sector. The Weighted Price Index of the Taiwan Stock Exchange fell 1.26 points to close at 7,736.20 points.
WELLINGTON: New Zealand stocks ignored positive offshore leads to slip lower, brokers expect the recent lackluster trading pattern to persist in coming sessions without significant corporate news to drive stocks higher. The benchmark NZX-50 index slipped 8.7 points, or 0.2 percent, at 4.041.61.
SYDNEY: Australian shares finished slightly higher after a volatile trading day. The benchmark S&P/ASX 200 rose 23.2 points, or 0.4 percent, to 5,882.9.
With files from wire services
