The Nikkei 225 Index rose 1.02% to close at 41,070, while the broader Topix Index gained 0.81% to 2,944 on Thursday, recovering losses from earlier in the week after the Bank of Japan left interest rates unchanged in a unanimous decision, as widely expected. This marks the fourth consecutive meeting the BOJ has paused following its 25 basis-point hike to 0.5% in January. Japanese stocks also took cues from stronger US futures, supported by upbeat earnings from tech giants Meta Platforms and Microsoft. Meanwhile, investors continued to watch trade developments after the US finalized a tariff deal with South Korea and imposed steep levies on Brazil and India. Gains were led by index heavyweights, with Disco rising 7%, Fujikura 6.3%, Sanrio 3.5%, Lasertec 3.8%, and SoftBank Group 3.1%.