On topic: What drove the Nikkei average to a record high after 34 years?

Japan's Nikkei Stock Average this week surpassed its all-time high of 38,915, a mark set 34 years ago, powered by semiconductor-related stocks as upbeat earnings results fueled optimism. Why has the blue-chip gauge risen so much, and how has Japan's stock market changed in recent years?

The benchmark index for the Tokyo Stock Exchange set an all-time high on Thursday, closing up 2.19% at 39,098. The Nikkei 225 closed above its previous all-time high of 38,915.87, set on Dec. 29, 1989, during the economic boom of the bubble era. The surge signals a possible end to the country's so-called lost decades. Read more.