Tokyo - Tokyo stocks opened higher Monday on Wall Street rises before the weekend and the US dollar's advance against the yen.

The Nikkei 225 Stock Average increased 232.98 points, or 1.84 per cent, to 12,899.02.

The broader Topix index of all first-section issues was also up 23.77 points, or 1.95 per cent, at 1,240.19.

On currency markets at 9 am (0000 GMT), the dollar was quoted at 109.91-96 yen, up from Friday's 5 pm quote of 109.10-11 yen. A stronger dollar makes Japanese products cheaper overseas.

Tokyo - A wooden hall within Kyoto's l

London, Aug. 22 : China has become Japan’s top export destination, overtaking the US for the first time last month, reports the Financial Times.

Exports to China, which have risen in each of the last 38 months, expanded by 16.8 per cent in July to their highest level since the Japanese government began compiling statistics in 1950. At the same time, exports to the US declined by 11.5 per cent, marking the 11th consecutive monthly drop.

Overall, shipments rose by 8.1 per cent by value, after falling in June for the first time since 2003, the finance ministry said.

Tokyo  - Tokyo stocks extended their losses Friday on the back of oil price rises and a stronger yen.

The Nikkei 225 Stock Average lost 85.5 points in morning trading, or 0.67 per cent, to trade at 12,666.71.

The broader Topix index of all first-section issues was also down 8.14 points, or 0.66 per cent, at 1,216.39.

Exporters were hurt by a weaker US dollar against the yen as a stronger yen makes Japanese products more expensive overseas.

Tokyo  - Japan's trade surplus in July shrank 86.6 per cent to 91.1 billion yen (829 million dollars) compared with July 2007, as China overtook the United States as the country's biggest export market, the Finance Ministry said Thursday.

The nation's exports rose 8.1 per cent to 7.63 trillion yen, and imports rose 18.2 per cent to a record 7.54 trillion yen, as high oil prices drove up the price of energy imports, shrinking Japan's trade surplus for the fifth month in a row.

The trade surplus with the rest of Asia jumped 42.3 per cent. Exports to Asia rose 12.7 per cent to a new peak of 3.86 trillion yen, and imports also went up 5.7 per cent to a record 2.93 trillion yen.

Tokyo - Tokyo stocks opened lower Thursday on lingering concerns over the outlook of the US and Japanese economies.

The Nikkei 225 Stock Average fell 44.56 points, or 0.35 per cent, to 12,807.13.

The broader Topix index of all first-section issues was also down 3.88 points, or 0.31 per cent, to 1,229.49.

On currency markets at 9 am (0000 GMT), the dollar was quoted at 109.70-75 yen, down from Wednesday's 5 pm quote of 110.12-13 yen.