Around the World's Markets: Tokyo

A WEAKENING yen and overnight gains on Wall Street helped the benchmark Nikkei 225 index end up 1 per cent at 14,499.

Fuji Bank's decision on Thursday to make Yasuda Trust & Banking its subsidiary, and news that Daiwa Securities may launch pension plans with financial firms in the Sumitomo and Mitsubishi groups, raised hopes that the country's ailing financial system was heading towards stability. Mitsubishi Motors rose 5 per cent on alliance speculation.