Japan's Nikkei 225 Stock Average climbed to its highest since the nation's bubble economy era more than three decades ago, reflecting investor optimism that growth is returning after the country's long battle with deflation. The blue-chip gauge rose 1.2% to close at 33,763 in Tokyo, a level unseen since March 1990, lifted by a rebound in technology shares and a drop in Treasury yields. The benchmark Topix index, which some funds prefer to follow because it's more comprehensive, gained 0.8%.