Japanese markets rose sharply, led by technology stocks. The Nikkei average closed 1.14 percent higher at 38,790.56 after touching 38,990.11, its highest since mid-February earlier in the day. The broader Topix index settled 0.73 percent higher at 2,781,35.
Advantest rose 1.6 percent, Tokyo Electron rallied 3.7 percent and SoftBank Group surged 5.6 percent.
A stronger yen weighed on exporters, with Honda Motor falling 1.1 percent and Nissan tumbling 2.6 percent. Inpex Corp plunged 6.8 percent as oil extended losses after settling more than 7 percent on Monday.