Tokyo - The Tokyo market extended gains to end Friday trading higher after briefly sending the key Nikkei 225 Stock Average above 9,000 at one point on Wall Street's overnight surge. The Nikkei index was up 48.05 points, or 0.54 per cent, to close at 8,964.11 after peaking at 9,068.8 during morning trading. The Nikkei rose above the 9,000 level for the first time in three months.

The broader Topix index of all first-section issues also rose 4.16 points, or 0.49 per cent, at 845.97.

Exporters were helped by a weaker yen, which boosts earnings of Japanese firms.

For the week, the Nikkei gained 2.45 per cent, and the Topix went up 1.76 per cent.

On currency markets at midday (0300 GMT), the dollar traded at 100.27-32 yen, up from Thursday's 5 pm quote of 100.14-15 yen.

The euro traded at 1.3131-36 dollars, down from late Thursday's quote of 1.3312-15 dollars, and at 131.70-75 yen, down from 133.32-36 yen. (dpa)