Tokyo, June 03 (QNA) - Japan's Nikkei index closed above the 68,000 mark for the first time on Wednesday, just two days after breaking through 67,000, supported by strong gains in artificial intelligence-related stocks despite ongoing concerns about developments in West Asia.

The Nikkei rose 2.5 percent to close at 68,402.13 points, setting a new record high, while the broader Topix index surpassed the 4,000-point mark for the first time during trading before ending the session up 1.8 percent at 3,996.2 points.

Shares of Kioxia Holdings rose 7.2 percent, surpassing the 80,000-yen level for the first time, after the memory-card maker announced plans to begin paying dividends from fiscal 2027, supported by strong earnings.

Shares of chip-equipment maker Tokyo Electron jumped 13.4 percent to close at a record high, providing the biggest boost to the Nikkei by adding 723 points. Meanwhile, semiconductor-testing equipment maker Advantest rose 5.1 percent, contributing 323 points to the index.

Of the stocks listed on the Nikkei, 164 advanced while 60 declined.

By contrast, software-testing company Shift fell 12.2 percent to lead the losers, while film-production and cinema-operator Toho declined 4.1 percent.

Of the 33 industry indexes on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, 25 advanced, led by the non-ferrous metals sector, which rose 5.7 percent, while the telecommunications sector was the worst performer, falling about 2 percent.

These gains came despite oil prices rising about 1 percent following escalating tensions in West Asia, while diplomatic talks between Iran and the US made little progress. (QNA)