Japan's key Nikkei stock average ended well above the key 17,000-line Thursday morning, a level unseen in about five years and seven months, as buying was sparked by overnight gains in U.S. shares and optimism over the course of the Tokyo stock market in the new business year starting Saturday.

The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average rose 165.55 points, or 0.98 percent, in the morning to 17,103.93, crossing the 17,000 threshold for the first time since Sept. 1, 2000.

The Tokyo Stock Price Index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange gained 20.67 points, or 1.21 percent, to 1, 732.21.

Source: Xinhua