Japan 225 Climbs 0.27% on May 1 as Volatility Drops, Halting Pullback

Japan 225 closed up 0.27% on May 1, led by real estate, banking, and textile sectors with standout gains in TOTO Ltd. (+18.43%) and Sumitomo Corp. (+17.12%), while Nikkei Volatility plunged 9.87% to 28.58 after peaking at 31.71 on April 30. The index had surged to fresh all-time highs, including +5.42% on April 8, +0.91% above 59,700 on April 24, and +0.97% on April 27 fueled by Fanuc (+15.98%), Keyence (+15.83%), and BOJ support amid corporate reforms. Recent pullbacks of -0.74% on April 23, -1.05% on April 28, and -0.98% on April 30 were driven by paper & pulp/transport weakness, rising oil, and USD/JPY at 160.60, but today's rebound signals potential stabilization amid easing volatility and mixed Wall Street cues.