Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index climbed nearly 3 percent on Wednesday to surpass 68,000 points for the first time, extending a rally that has seen the market gain roughly 33 percent in 2026. Semiconductor-linked companies led the advance, with Tokyo Electron — Japan's largest maker of chip manufacturing equipment — jumping as much as 14 percent, as analysts cited soaring global demand for AI chips and a weak yen as key tailwinds. The milestone is part of a broader worldwide rally fuelled by AI spending: US tech companies are projected to pour around $800 billion into AI-related infrastructure this year alone, according to Goldman Sachs.