TOKYO: Japan’s Nikkei share average rallied on Friday after the Bank of Japan (BOJ) opted to leave interest rates unchanged, as widely expected, and said accommodative monetary conditions are likely to continue for the time being.

The Nikkei ended the day 0.8% higher at 37,934.76, extending a 0.4% rise from the morning session after the BOJ announced its policy decision during the midday recess.

During the session, the benchmark index gained more than 1% and topped the psychological 38,000 level, but failed to maintain the momentum.

The index still managed to advance 2.3% for the week, recouping a part of the previous week’s 6.2% tumble, its worst weekly performance since June 2022.

The broader Topix finished the day 0.86% higher, notching a 2.3% advance for the week.