Tokyo stocks open up 1.18% TOKYO stocks opened 1.18 per cent higher on Thursday after New York shares surged to new record highs as the dollar hovered near the 100-yen mark it last hit four years ago. The Nikkei 225 index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange was up 156.82 points to 13,444.95 at the start. "With momentum on its side and Bank of Japan policy in place to push it, the dollar's break through 100 yen is just a matter of time," said Hiroichi Nishi, general manager of equities at SMBC Nikko Securities. The dollar last topped 100.00 yen in April 2009. A lower yen is a boost for Japanese exporters as it makes their products more competitive abroad and increases their income when repatriated. The market was also watching for an expected missile test by North Korea. South Korean and US forces raised their alert status to "vital threat" Wednesday as the Pentagon warned a bellicose Pyongyang it was "skating very close to a dangerous line." But despite tensions on the Korean peninsula, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 128.78 (0.88 per cent) to 14,802.24, a new all-time closing high. The dollar held steady after gaining slightly on Wednesday after the minutes to the last Federal Reserve policy meeting showed an increase in sentiment towards reeling in its huge bond purchases this year. The gain was limited in part because the minutes represented sentiment in mid-March, before dismal job creation numbers quelled rising optimism about the US economy. A tightening of monetary policy would send interest rates higher, and draw more demand for the dollar. The dollar was quoted at 99.73 yen in early Asian trade on Thursday against 99.76 yen in New York on Wednesday afternoon. The euro was at 130.18 yen against 130.26 yen while edging down to $1.3055 from $1.3068.