Around the World's Markets: Tokyo

GROWING OPTIMISM over an improvement in Japan's economy supported stocks in the heaviest turnover in a decade, with 1.66 billion shares traded as the settlement of June future and options boosted volumes. The benchmark Nikkei 225 closed up 0.56 per cent at 7,198.55.

The most actively traded stock, Nippon Steel, failed to hold on to a 3 per cent gain, ending up 1 per cent. Despite Thursday's unexpectedly strong GDP data, the resulting buying petered out ahead of the weekend, traders said.