TOKYO: Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei 225 index closed higher on Monday on speculation the US Federal Reserve will keep interest rates near zero longer and an economic downturn will force Japanese policymakers to increase stimulus this month.

The Nikkei index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange advanced 1.58 percent, or 280.36 points, to 18,005.49, while the broader Topix index of all first-section shares gained 1.31 percent, or 19.00 points, to 1,463.92.

Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2015