Japanese shares up first time in four days on US rally
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AFP
Japan's Nikkei index closed higher for the first time in four days, spurred by a rally on Wall Street.
US shares snapped a two-day losing streak overnight, rebounding from Tuesday's steep losses as the S&P 500 and Dow Jones rose nearly 2%.
An upward revision in US productivity data ahead of the jobs report on Friday boosted sentiment among investors rattled by slowing growth in China.
Japan's Nikkei 225 index closed up 0.5% to 18,182.39 - leading Asian gains.
Chinese markets are closed on Thursday and Friday for a holiday to commemorate the end of World War Two.
Rest of Asia lower
In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 index ended down 1.3% at 5,035.70. Shares in department store operator Myer Holdings dived 24% after it announced plans to raise 221m Australian dollars ($154m; £101m) through a rights issue.
In South Korea, shares closed flat after revised second quarter growth figures came out in line with earlier estimates released in July.
The economy grew a seasonally-adjusted 0.3% from April to June from the previous three-month period, while it expanded 2.2% from a year earlier.
The benchmark Kospi index finished at 1,915.53.
