Nikkei 225 closes up 1.1% at 63,954.19; Kospi jumps 6.6%

The divergence within Japan is the telling detail: a 1.1% Nikkei gain alongside a slightly lower Topix points to index-level concentration rather than broad risk appetite, with the Kospi's surge and the outsized moves in SK Hynix and Samsung suggesting the bid is concentrated in semiconductors. That asymmetry matters for anyone tracking whether regional equity strength is a chip-cycle story or a wider market reflation. Whether the chip-led leadership holds, and whether the Topix's softness proves a one-day quirk or a persistent split, is the open question.