Semiconductor Surge Powers Tokyo Rally as Chip Stocks Dominate the Session — September 23, 2026

Market Overview

Tokyo equities delivered a sharply bifurcated session on September 23, 2026, with semiconductor and electronic components stocks surging to lead the Nikkei 225 higher, while defensive consumer staples, utilities, and transportation names weighed on broader market sentiment. The day’s action was defined by a decisive rotation into Japan’s technology hardware complex, with chip-related names posting their strongest single-day gains in recent memory. Losses in food producers, fisheries, and real estate capped the upside for the wider index.

Top Gainers

The semiconductor equipment and materials space was the unambiguous star of the session, sweeping the top of the leaderboard with conviction:

• Lasertec Corp (6920) surged +8.70%, the biggest gain in the Nikkei 225, as investors piled into the chip inspection equipment specialist.
• Advantest Corp (6857) added +5.99% and Tokyo Electron (8035) climbed +4.20%, reinforcing broad-based enthusiasm across semiconductor capital equipment.
• SUMCO Corporation (3436) gained +5.60% and IBIDEN Co Ltd (4062) rose +5.85%, reflecting demand optimism for silicon wafers and advanced packaging substrates.
• Mitsui Kinzoku Co Ltd (5706) posted a striking +7.35% advance, the second-best performance of the day, benefiting from its exposure to nonferrous metals and electronic materials tied to the chip supply chain.
• Electronic components names including Murata Manufacturing (6981) (+4.47%), Renesas Electronics (6723) (+4.45%), Taiyo Yuden (6976) (+4.17%), and Screen Holdings (7735) (+3.94%) rounded out a remarkably cohesive rally across the technology supply chain.

Top Decliners

Pressure was concentrated in consumer-facing and domestic-demand sectors. Food producers bore the brunt of selling:

• Nisshin Seifun Group (2002) fell -4.15% and NH Foods Ltd (2282) dropped -3.40%, while Sapporo Breweries (2501) declined -3.20%, suggesting investors rotated aggressively out of defensive staples.
• Nissui Corporation (1332) shed -3.49%, the steepest decline among non-food names on the decliners list.
• Sharp Corp (6753) fell -4.08%, a notable underperformer even as the broader electronics sector rallied, highlighting company-specific headwinds.
• East Japan Railway (9020) lost -2.84% and Nitori Holdings (9843) gave up -2.82%, reflecting the risk-on mood that drew capital away from domestic consumption plays.

Sector Snapshot

Nonferrous Metals was the clear sector leader, surging an average of +3.52%, driven by its close linkage to semiconductor materials demand. Electrical Equipment followed with a solid +1.35% gain, underpinned by the chip-related rally. Securities and Pharmaceuticals ended broadly flat.

On the downside, Fisheries was the worst-performing sector at -3.49%, followed by Food (-1.87%), Gas (-2.16%), and Textiles (-2.29%). Cyclically sensitive sectors including Shipping (-1.74%), Real Estate (-1.91%), and Electricity (-1.81%) also underperformed, suggesting the day’s enthusiasm was narrowly concentrated rather than broadly distributed across the market.

Source: Tokyo Stock Exchange data | Japan Economic News