Tokyo stocks rose Monday, with the Nikkei stock index closing above 69,000 for the first time, said Timothy Pope, a market analyst for China Global Television Network (CGTN).
The benchmark Nikkei stock index, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average, ended up 3,297.46 points, or 4.99 percent from Friday at 69,317.50, after briefly surging over 5 percent.
The broader Topix index, meanwhile, finished 117.64 points, or 3.03 percent, higher at 3,999.60, also a record closing high.
"Over in Tokyo the Nikkei 225 was up very strongly right from the outset and the index closed above 69,000 points for the first time, jumping 5.6 percent. The broader Topix Index also hit a fresh record high, less than half a point below the 4000 level. And that tells you, I think, how big the relief rally was in Japan because we didn't just see the big heavyweight tech firms on the Nikkei rising, but also the much broader basket of stocks on the Topix, which often doesn't move either in the same direction, or at least to the same degree as we see on the Nikkei. Notable gainers today included the aviation sector. There was a big sense of relief there, with ANA Holdings rising 6 percent, and SoftBank, the bellwether tech investor, was up 10 percent," Pope said.
Tokyo stocks end over 69,000 points for first time
China is continuing to experience a box office boom this year, driven by a nationwide campaign to spur consumption with cheaper cinema tickets while a series of big summer releases are also enticing film fans out to theaters up and down the country.
Seen as one of the most lucrative periods of the year, China's summer box office season, which officially runs from June 1 to August 31, has now generated more than 10.7 billion yuan in box office revenue as of midday Thursday.
This has helped propel China's total box office revenue for 2026 above 26.5 billion yuan (over 3.9 billion U.S. dollars) as of Thursday afternoon, with more than 670 million moviegoers and over 96 million screenings recorded, according to the latest data from a leading Chinese ticketing platform.
The diverse line-up of summer blockbusters covers a broad range of genres, including comedy, animation, sci-fi, war, and suspense and action, offering audiences more choices and helping attract viewers from different age groups and with different interests.
Among the best performers is the anti-war film "Once Upon a Time in the Middle East," which tells the story of a chef working at a Chinese restaurant in the Middle East when war breaks out in the 2000s. It has drawn positive feedback both for its perspective on war and the vivid portrayal of life in the Middle East.
In just 10 days since its release on Aug. 11, the film has raked in over 1.2 billion yuan, catapulting it up the box office charts as it closes in on the year's biggest grossing films.
Ticketing data shows that the current top four on China's annual box office chart are the auto-racing sequel "Pegasus 3", Hong Kong director Stephen Chow's sports comedy "Kung Fu Soccer" about a team of female footballers, the touching family drama "Dear You", and animated film "All Wishes Come True!"
China launched a nationwide campaign this year to boost the cinema sector, with at least 1.2 billion yuan in subsidies planned throughout 2026 to make movie-going more affordable. Data shows the average ticket price for domestic-made movies has dropped to 39.5 yuan (less than 6 U.S. dollars) this year, some 20 percent lower in 2025.
China's summer film season continues as consumption campaign entices moviegoers
