Nikkei opened 1.82 percent higher and topped the 15,000 mark Wednesday morning for the first time since January 2008, propelled by a sliding yen and buoyant global equities. At 9:15 a.m., the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average was up 267.94 points, or 1.82 percent, from Tuesday at 15,026.36, after climbing to 15,030.26, its highest intraday mark since Jan. 4, 2008. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange was up 20.85 points, or 1.69 percent, at 1, 251.65.