Tokyo stocks rise sharply in morning on upbeat U.S. data, weaker yen

TOKYO, May 17 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks rose sharply Friday morning as a risk-on mood returned following solid U.S. economic data released overnight underpinning the broader market, while a weak yen boosted exporter issues.

The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average gained 328.55 points, or 1.56 percent, from Thursday to 21,391.53.

The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, meanwhile, added 24.39 points, or 1.59 percent, to 1,561.94.

Mining, oil and coal product, and insurance-linked issues comprised those that gained the most by the morning break.