Japan Market Daily | Kabutaro & Friends

On August 5, 2026, Tokyo's Nikkei 225 extended its gains sharply, closing up 2,342.91 points (+3.66%) at 66,300.44, with the TOPIX rising 84 points to 4,046. The rally was driven by buying in AI and semiconductor stocks including Advantest, Tokyo Electron, and SoftBank Group (+13.96%), following a 6.55% surge in the US Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) and record closes in both the S&P 500 and Dow on the previous day. Ibiden surged to its daily up-limit (+24.49%) after announcing a major upward earnings revision and a stock split. A broadly firmer tone across Asian markets, including South Korea's KOSPI, also supported sentiment. US Treasury Secretary Bessent indicated that a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz could come as soon as that day or the next, pushing oil (WTI) down around 6% to the $75 range. USD/JPY moved narrowly around 157.50, with intervention wariness keeping the pair contained in the high-157 range.