The Nikkei 225 Index rose 0.8% to above 54,100, while the broader Topix Index advanced 0.4% to 3,665 on Thursday, marking a third consecutive session of gains for Japanese equities amid cautious optimism over diplomatic efforts to end the Middle East conflict. The US maintained that peace negotiations are ongoing, although Iran signaled it has no intention of holding direct talks with Washington. Tehran said it would reject a US ceasefire proposal, instead countering with a five-point plan that includes control over the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, Japan took delivery of two oil tankers from the Middle East this week that bypassed the critical waterway, helping to ease some supply pressures. Among individual stocks, notable gains were seen in Fujikura (4.4%), Furukawa Electric (5.3%), SoftBank Group (4.8%), Lasertec (2.5%), and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (2.2%).