Tokyo Nikkei 225 up 1.24% at 38,405 points (Il Sole 24 Ore Radiocor) - Tokyo , 30 Apr - Japanese shares closed higher, leading the gains amid muted Asian markets and extending last week's rally as trading resumed in Tokyo after a three-day weekend.

The Nikkei index closed up 1.24% at 38,405 points.

The benchmark index was however down nearly 5% in April, the worst performer in the region, as investors took profits after gains in the previous months and as uncertainty over the Bank of Japan's policies weighed on sentiment.

Last week the central bank kept interest steady as widely expected as it met for the first time after a historic interest rate hike in March.

On the data front, in March industrial production in Japan rose a seasonally adjusted 3.8% from February and fell an unadjusted annual 6.7%, according to preliminary figures released by the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry.

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(RADIOCOR) 30-04-24 08:53:15 (0214) 5 NNNN