Tokyo stocks bounced back Wednesday as firm US data strengthened the dollar against the yen, while rising hopes that Japan's scheduled sales tax hike next year will be delayed also brightened sentiment.

    The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average ended up 258.59 points, or 1.57%, from Tuesday at 16,757.35. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange finished 16.38 points, or 1.23%, higher at 1,342.88, according to Japan's News Agency (Kyodo).

    Every industry category on the main section except pharmaceuticals and consumer finance gained ground, led by insurance, iron and steel, and information and communication issues.