The Nikkei index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange rose 37.48 points to 8,422.14 in the morning session. The Topix index of all first section shares rose 0.46 percent or 3.37 points to 732.97.

Bargain hunting lifted the market after a selloff on Friday, Toshiyuki Kanayama, senior market analyst at Monex, told Dow Jones Newswires. The stock exchange was closed on Monday for a national holiday.

Gains on Wall Street, where the Dow Jones Industrial Average finished up 32.77 points (0.26 percent) at 12,392.69 on Monday, also improved sentiment, analysts added.

But the Japanese market still seemed to lack momentum due in part to the sustained eurozone debt crisis, as Germany and France turned up the pressure on Greece.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy said after talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel that an agreement on stricter budgetary rules tying in all EU members except Britain should be signed by March 1.

On the forex markets, the euro was stable against major currencies.

The single currency bought $1.2765 and 98.08 yen, compared with $1.2760 and 97.90 yen in New York late Monday.

The dollar was at 76.80 yen, slightly down from 76.84 yen in New York.