Tokyo shares end sharply higher on pension reform

Tokyo shares closed remarkably higher Monday with its benchmark Nikkei stocks index rocketing about 4 percent and recovering to the 15,000 threshold due to a news report on expected reforms of Japan's Government Pension Investment Fund and a weaker yen.
The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average soared 578.72 points, or 3. 98 percent, from Friday to 15,111.23 after a big drop on Friday.
The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange was up 47.12 points, or 4.00 percent, at 1, 224.34.
Gainers were led by communications, automakers and machinery issues.
The turnover was about 2,318.6 billion yen (about 21.59 billion U.S. dollars).