Japan stocks close above 19,000 Friday

Japanese shares rose Friday for the third straight day, ending at more than 19,000 for the first time in 14 years and 11 months, as sentiment was lifted by a falling yen and overnight gains on Wall Street.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average gained 263.14 points, or 1.39 per cent, to end at 19,254.25 while the broader-based Topix index was up 13.7 points, or 0.89 per cent, at 1,560.33, dpa reported.
For the week, the Nikkei added 1.49 per cent and the Topix was up 1.26 per cent.
Exporters traded broadly higher as the yen fell against the dollar. A weaker yen makes Japanese goods more competitive overseas and improves repatriated revenues.