Tokyo stocks were higher Thursday morning tracking gains on Wall Street which rose overnight on optimism the debt ceiling in the U.S. reportedly being raised will avert a government shutdown.

The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average gained 72.22 points, or 0.37 percent, from Wednesday to 19,430.19.

The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, meanwhile, added 9.35 added, or 0.59 percent, to 1,601.35.

Machinery, pulp and paper, and mining-linked issues comprised those that gained the most by the morning break.