Shipping lines also rose on rising freight charges. Mitsui O.S.K. Lines advanced 4.94%, Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding increased 4.6% and Kawasaki Kisen gained 4.43%.

Daiwa House Industries led decliners in the Nikkei 225 index shares with a drop of 7.76% followed by losses in Konami Corp. of 5.56%, in Denki Kigaku of 4.80%, in Nikon Corp. of 4.50, and Clarion Company Limited of 4.45%.

Company News

Asahi online news reported today that Bridgestone Corp announced yesterday at a press conference in Tokyo that it paid 150 million yen in bribes to foreign public officials in connection with the sale of rubber hoses used to transfer crude oil from tankers to onshore storage facilities.

Bridgestone President Shoshi Arakawa however said he will not resign or take responsibility.

The Nikkei reported today that Aiful Corp will raise 120 billion yen of capital by issuing new shares through convertible bond issues. The recent changes in Japan have limited the maximum interest charged for consumer loans to 20% and limited total outstanding loan that a consumer carry, and establish a designate credit bureau for consumers. There are 17,000 small lenders with largest seven lenders including GE Capital and Citigroup controlling 70% of market share.

Separately, the business online edition reported that Fujifilm Holdings will buy midsize drugmaker Toyama Chemical Co for 84.2 million yen.