Japan's Nikkei average rose 1.2 per cent this morning to end the day at a five-week closing high, as higher oil and metals prices boosted trading houses such as Mitsui & Co Ltd and other resource firms.
Nippon Steel Corp and other steel shares fell on the prospect of a more than 200 percent rise in the coking coal prices they must pay to miners in the financial year that started on April 1st, squeezing their profits.
The benchmark Nikkei added 157.01 points to 13,450.23, its highest close since February 29th. It gained 3.7 percent last week.
The broader TOPIX index climbed 1.3 per cent or 16.69 points to 1,305.63.
