Nikkei hits 10-day closing high on upbeat U.S. earnings, data

A man looks at an electronic board displaying Japan's Nikkei average (top C) and various countries' stock indices, as passers-by walk past outside a brokerage in Tokyo April 16, 2014. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

TOKYO (Reuters) - REUTERS - Japan's Nikkei stock average rose 0.7 percent on Friday to its highest close in 10 days, buoyed by upbeat U.S. economic data and corporate earnings, though trading volume hit its lowest in almost 1-1/2 years as many overseas markets were closed for Easter. The Nikkei finished at 14,516.27, chalking up a weekly gains of 4 percent, its biggest since November, although that came after it had suffered its biggest loss in three years in the previous week. The broader Topix rose 0.6 percent to 1,173.37. The JPX-Nikkei Index 400 advanced 0.6 percent to 10,677.80. (Editing by Chris Gallagher)