TOKYO (AFP) - Tokyo's benchmark Nikkei 225 index jumped 1.8 per cent to its highest close in almost six years on Thursday as a weak yen and record finishes on Wall Street helped propel the market.

The headline Nikkei finished up 277.49 points to 15,727.12, its best close since the middle of December 2007, while the broader Topix index of all first-section shares added 1.12 per cent, or 13.96 points, to 1,261.04.