Tokyo stocks close up 0.85 per cent

TOKYO, Aug 21 (AFP): Tokyo stocks rose 0.85 per cent on Thursday after the dollar jumped against the yen on speculation that the US central bank may raise interest rates earlier than expected.
The Nikkei 225 index was up 131.75 points to 15,586.20, notching up a ninth straight day of gains. The Topix index of all first-section issues climbed 0.90 per cent, or 11.55 points, to 1,291.19.
The greenback was trading at 103.86 yen in Tokyo, up from 103.76 yen in New York late Wednesday and up from 103.23 yen in Tokyo on Wednesday.
A weak yen is a strong buy signal for Japanese exporters as it makes their products more competitive abroad and inflates profits when repatriated.