TOKYO, July 6 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks closed higher Tuesday amid a boost in energy shares due to a rise in crude oil prices, while market players scooped up shares following the Nikkei index's plunge to a two-week low the previous day.
The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average gained 45.02 points, or 0.16 percent, at 28,643.21.
The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange ended 5.51 points, or 0.28 percent, higher at 1,954.50.
According to investors, Nikkei major shares, such as Fast Retailing and SoftBank Group, supported the market throughout the day.
The decreasing number of COVID-19 patients with severe symptoms amid a steady vaccine rollout played as a boosting factor for the market, though expectations that a possible COVID-19 quasi-state of emergency will be extended by the Japanese government have dented investor sentiment, according to analysts
The government is considering extending the quasi-emergency beyond its initially scheduled deadline next Sunday amid a resurgence of COVID-19 cases in Tokyo, according to local media reports.
Tokyo logged 342 new cases Monday, exceeding the number recorded a week earlier for the 16th consecutive day.
On the First Section, increasing issues outnumbered decreasing ones 1,142 to 896, while 153 finished the day unchanged.
Gaining issues were led by air transportation, oil and coal product, and mining issues.
In the oil sector, Cosmo Energy Holdings advanced 3.4 percent, and Eneos Holdings gained 1.6 percent, while Inpex rose 1.8 percent.
Crude oil futures briefly jumped to their highest level since October 2018 in New York trading overnight.
In shares of blue chips, Fast Retailing edged up 0.5 percent while SoftBank Group gained 1.0 percent.
Trading volume on the main section increased to 794.25 million shares from Monday's 774.29 million shares. Enditem