Japan's Nikkei 225 index topped the 42,000 mark for the first time amid a broader rally in Asia-Pacific markets on Thursday, after U.S. technology companies rose overnight on optimism about interest rate cuts from the Federal Reserve.
The Nikkei average rose 0.97%, supported by technology stocks, while the broad-based Topix index rose 0.7%, also hitting a new high.
On a year-on-year basis, Japan's core machinery orders rose 10.8%, above Reuters' forecast for a 7.2% gain.
But core machinery orders unexpectedly fell for a second straight month on a monthly basis, falling 3.2% compared with a 0.8% rise forecast by economists polled by Reuters.
Machinery orders are a volatile but leading indicator of capital spending in Japan, and a decline could signal a fragile economy, complicating the Bank of Japan's plans to normalize monetary policy.
Japanese carmaker Toyota has received a boost in India after the state of Uttar Pradesh waived some duty on hybrid cars, making them 10% cheaper, Reuters reported.
South Korea's Kospi rose 0.75% as the Bank of Korea kept interest rates at 3.5% for the 12th straight time, while the Kosdaq rose 0.11%.
In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.93%.
Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index rose 1.41%, while mainland China's CSI 300 Index rose 0.35%.
