TOKYO—Japanese shares rose Monday on gains in the high-tech sector, but buyers were wary as they awaited a slew of key U.S. economic data and Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke's speech this week.
The benchmark Nikkei 225 index rose 88.02 points, or 0.6 percent, to 13,743.36.
Investors were cautious ahead of the release of key U.S. data this week, including the April consumer price index and retail sales figures. Also, U.S. central bank chief and other Federal Reserve officials are giving speeches this week.
"Players are watching how the outcome (of the speeches) will affect the global stock market," said Tsuyoshi Segawa, equity strategist at Shinko Securities. Segawa also said lingering worries over the credit crisis continued to weigh on the market.
"We all knew that the credit crunch problem has not been resolved, it's just that optimism has outperformed pessimism lately," he said.
Among gainers, electronics firm Kyocera Corp. rose 2.1 percent to 9,750 yen and Konica Minolta Holdings Inc. jumped 12 percent to 1,672 yen. Sony Corp. edged up 0.6 percent to 4,650 yen.
The Topix index of all the Tokyo Stock Exchange First Section added just 1.03 points, or 0.1 percent, to 1,342.79.
In currencies, the dollar was quoted at 103.32 yen midafternoon in Tokyo, compared with 103.04 yen in New York late Friday. The euro stood at US$1.5406, down from US$1.5456 late Friday in New York.
