P.M. BRIEFING : Volatile Tokyo Shares Close Firm

Tokyo shares closed firmer today after plunging in the morning and violently fluctuating in a spread of more than 1,000 points over the day.

The 225-share Nikkei index closed 92.51 points or 0.26% higher at 35,826.84 in modest turnover of about 520 million shares after plummeting 1,161.19 points Wednesday.

The Nikkei, a key barometer of the market’s health, struggled back after tumbling as many as 646 points this morning amid widespread jitters over world interest rates.

“It’s tiring,” said Brad Bauer, manager of institutional equity sales at Barclays de Zoete Wedd Securities (Japan). “People are exhausted from watching their screens.”