Nikkei rises, bolstered by strong domestic focus

Japan's Nikkei share average rose at Thursday's open, supported by domestically driven stocks, although gains could be limited as hopes dwindle for a credible fix to the euro zone's debt crisis at an EU summit.

The Nikkei opened up 1% at 8,815.38, while the broader Topix index was 0.9 higher at 752.27.