Nikkei 225 closes up 0.9% at 64,621.24; Kospi jumps 3.3%

The gap between the two benchmarks is the story: a 0.9% Nikkei gain against a 3.3% Kospi jump points to Korea-specific demand rather than a uniform regional risk-on move. That divergence matters for anyone reading Asian equities as a single sentiment signal, since the Kospi's outsized advance implies concentrated buying in a narrower set of names. Whether the Kospi's relative strength persists into the next session, or reverts toward the Nikkei's more measured pace, is the open question.