国际英语新闻：Nikkei logs best weekly performance this year as yen weakens

Brokers said that exporters were again the beneficiaries of the yen's depreciation as many of them have set their assumption rates for dollar/yen at 90 yen and at 110-115 yen for euro/yen in the year to March 2011.

A weaker yen ensures more competitiveness in the international market and that profits made abroad are not diminished when repatriated

"A solid performance by exporters' shares continued as the yen largely kept its weakness against the dollar," said Kazuhiro Takahashi, general manager at Daiwa Securities Capital Markets.

"Given Japan's attitude toward intervention this time, such as its large size, counter moves may be unlikely. Eyes are now on the Federal Reserve's meeting next week, at a time when U.S. yields are on the rise."

The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average gained 116.59 points from Thursday to 9,626.09, the highest closing level since Aug. 6, while the broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange rose 7.38 points, or 0.87 percent, to 852.09.

GS Yuasa Corp., a battery maker, climbed 3.3 percent to 619 yen and Mitsubishi Corp., a trading company, rose 1.6 percent to 1,955 yen. The companies and Magna International Inc. may start joint European production of lithium ion batteries for electric vehicles, the Nikkei English News reported.

Hitachi Ltd., an electrical and electronic equipment maker, climbed 3.6 percent to 378 yen. The company was raised to "buy" from "hold" at Deutsche Bank AG.

Konami Corp., a video-game maker, advanced 2.9 percent to 1,518 yen. The company and Viacom Inc.'s Harmonix studio settled a patent dispute over music-video games including "Rock Band," according to court filings.

Sony advanced 1.4 percent to 2,678 yen and Mazda jumped nearly 2 percent to 207 yen.

Semiconductor testing device maker Advantest Corp. added 2.2 percent to 1,737 yen.

Telecommunication issues rose Friday with Softbank Corp., the sole operator of Apple's iPhone in Japan, gaining 2.8 percent to 2, 688 yen, the highest close since November 2007.

KDDI Corp. rose 1.1 percent to 425,500 yen. The mobile communication services providers may be approached to invest in a NTT DoCoMo Inc. unit that will build facilities for mobile broadcasting in Japan, the Nikkei English News reported.

NTT DoCoMo increased 0.3 percent to close the week at 147,400 yen.

Some 1.67 billion shares changed hands on the Tokyo Exchange's First Section, down from Thursday's volume of 1.82 billion shares, with advancing issues outnumbering declining ones by 1,206 to 324. Japanese markets will be closed on Monday for a national holiday.