TOKYO - Nikkei surged over 3 percent early Friday morning and recouped part of its 6 percent loss the previous day, as sentiment was lifted by a weaker yen and signs of solid US economic recovery.

At 9:15 am, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average, which lost more than 800 points Thursday, gained 438.08 points, or 3.52 percent, at 12,883.46 after climbing to as high as 12,889.46 earlier in the morning.

The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange was up 33.14 points, or 3.17 percent, at 1, 077.31.