Tokyo stocks open higher on Wall St. gains as financial fears ease

Tokyo stocks opened higher Wednesday, lifted by gains on Wall Street as fears eased over the U.S. financial sector after Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen indicated the government is prepared to protect deposits following the failure of two banks.

In the first 15 minutes of trading, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average rose 484.00 points, or 1.80 percent, from Monday to 27,429.67. The broader Topix index was up 37.14 points, or 1.93 percent, at 1,966.44. Japanese financial markets were closed Tuesday due to a public holiday.

Every industry category gained, led by insurance, securities house and ba...