Tokyo stocks close up 1.13pc

TOKYO, Sept 18 (AFP): Tokyo's Nikkei stock index rose 1.13 per cent on Thursday to its highest close since early January as a sharply weaker yen boosted exporter shares, but Sony plunged after warning of a huge annual loss.
The benchmark Nikkei at the Tokyo Stock Exchange added 178.90 points to end at 16,067.57, putting the index within reach of last year's closing high.
The broader Topix index of all first-section issues rose 0.99 per cent, or 12.95 points, to 1,317.91.
Tokyo tracked a strong lead from Wall Street which saw a new Dow record after the US Federal Reserve stuck to its slow-but-steady plans to tighten monetary policy.
The Fed also hinted that interest rates could rise more than initially thought as the economy improves, boosting demand for the dollar.