The Nikkei 225 added 64 points, or 0.1%, to close at 50,408 on Thursday, swinging from a slight dip in the prior session after Wall Street’s S&P 500 and Dow Jones hit fresh record highs on Wednesday. Trading was subdued in holiday-thinned conditions as investors awaited cabinet approval of Japan’s FY2026 budget, estimated at JPY 122 trillion, a second consecutive record, potentially as early as Friday. Gains were tempered by caution ahead of key domestic data due Friday, including December Tokyo CPI, November unemployment and retail sales, plus flash industrial output. Technology stocks led advances, with chip equipment maker Tokyo Electron up 1.7% to provide the biggest lift to the Nikkei. Fanuc rose 2.0%, while memory chipmaker Kioxia Holdings added 1.8%, tracking strength in U.S. peer Micron after its record close last week. Sony Group climbed 1.23%, emerging as the largest contributor to gains in the broader Topix index.