TOKYO, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks closed higher on Thursday, with the benchmark Nikkei stock index finishing at a fresh two-year high as the yen's retreat against the U.S. dollar lifted exporter shares which buoyed the broader market.
The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average gained 37.02 points, or 0.18 percent, from Wednesday to close the day at 20,347.48, marking its highest close since Aug. 18, 2015.
The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, meanwhile, edged 0.82 point, or 0.05 percent, higher to finish at 1,668.74.
At the close, mining, bank and transportation equipment-linked issues comprised those that advanced the most, and falling issues beat rising ones by 974 to 945, with 109 ending the day unchanged on the First Section.
On the main section, 1,973.91 million shares changed hands, rising from Wednesday's volume of 1,756.57 million shares.
The turnover on the penultimate trading day of the week totaled 2,820.7 billion yen (25.03 billion U.S. dollars).
