TOKYO: Japanese shares closed higher on Thursday as investors scooped up beaten-down cyclical stocks, although gains were capped by technology shares that tracked Nasdaq lower.

The Nikkei 225 Index ended 1.14% higher at 28,729.88, ending a four-day losing streak, while the broader Topix jumped 1.4% to close at 1,955.55 after falling in three straight sessions.

Nikkei heavyweight Fast Retailing, the operator of Uniqlo brand clothing store, led the gains on Nikkei with its 1.39% gain.

Banking stocks jumped, with Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group rising 2.48% and Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group climbing 2.6%. Mizuho Financial Group gained 2.01%.

Toyota Motor edged up 0.43% after the automaker revived a partnership with Isuzu Motor to boost their competitive edge in connected, commercial vehicles, with Toyota’s truck unit Hino Motors Ltd joining in the pact.

Isuzu fell 1.94%, while Hino slumped 5.19% following a surge on the news on Wednesday, making it the biggest loser on the Nikkei index.

Chip-related shares fell, with Advantest losing 1.89% and Tokyo Electron sliding 1.49%. They tracked a weak show by the Nasdaq overnight.

Tech investor SoftBank Group, down 2.84%, was the second biggest loser on the Nikkei.