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| - Tokyo stocks closed higher on Wednesday, tracking rallies on Wall Street spurred by improving US manufacturing data. The benchmark Nikkei 225 index added 0.47 percent or 109.08 points to end at 23,247.15, while the broader Topix index rose 0.47 percent or 7.59 points to 1,623.40. "Japanese shares rose following gains on the three key US indices," Okasan Online Securities said in a commentary. "But the Japanese market lacked a sense of direction, though traders were relieved as uncertainty over the LDP election receded." The ruling Liberal Democratic Party will vote on September 14 on Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's replacement, an official confirmed. Key LDP factions have already thrown their support behind chief cabinet secretary Yoshihide Suga, who is expected to formally announce his candidacy later Wednesday. Two other candidates, former defence minister Shigeru Ishiba and LDP policy chief Fumio Kishida, have so far announced plans to stand. The dollar fetched 106.02 yen in Asian trade, against 105.94 yen in New York late Tuesday. In Tokyo trade, electronic device and chip makers were higher, with Murata Manufacturing jumping 3.82 percent to 6,592 yen and Advantest rising 1.18 percent to 5,120 yen. Sony advanced 0.85 percent to 8,420 yen while Fast Retailing, market heavyweight and Uniqlo casual wear operator, was up 0.42 percent to 63,650 yen. Automakers were lower, with Toyota dipping 0.10 percent to 6,972 yen, Honda losing 1.20 percent to 2,668.5 yen and Nissan dropping 1.76 percent to 423.1 yen. kh-nf/sah/fox
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