Tokyo takes U.S. cue, opens higher

Tech stocks helped take Japan's Nikkei 225 index higher in early trade Tuesday

TOKYO, Japan -- Tokyo shares opened firmer on Tuesday with investors taking a cue from a recovery in U.S. blue chips. High-tech issues were in demand.

The tech-sensitive Nikkei 225 average rose 93.19 points or 0.73 percent to 12,844, while the broader TOPIX index gained 8.24 points or 0.64 percent to 1,295.16.

Elsewhere in the region, Australia's benchmark S&P/ASX200 rebounded from Monday's decline to be 8.1 points stronger at 3446.5, while New Zealand also was up slightly.

In Seoul, the Kospi was down 2.02 points to 594.72 in mid-morning trade. In Taiwan, the Taiex was down 28.93 points to 4857.93.

Strong Dow injects positive note

Overnight in New York, the Dow Jones industrial average gained 91 points to 10,593.72, but the Nasdaq composite eased 11.82 points to 2148.72.

"The strong Dow in New York and some improvements in U.S. economic data are both positive for the Tokyo market after it saw steep falls yesterday," said Hidenori Karaki, equities trading manager at Tokyo Mitsubishi Personal Securities.

In Tokyo, Advantest, a major semiconductor testing device manufacturer, jumped 3.3 percent to 10,640 yen after a nearly two percent gain in the Philadelphia Stock Exchange's semiconductor index .

Top semiconductor equipment maker Tokyo Electron gained 2.78 percent to 7,400 yen, after falling 4.64 percent on Monday.

Bank shares gained ground after comments late Monday by Finance Minister Masajuro Shiokawa that imply a future injection of public funds into debt-laden banks.

Mizuho Holdings, the world's biggtest bank by assets, was up 0.5 percent, or 2000 yen to 567,000 yen.

On Monday, weakness in the Bank of Japan's quarterly tankan business survey sent bank stocks down.

Reuters contributed to this report.