Tokyo's benchmark stock index hit a new 34-year high for the third straight trading day on Tuesday. It followed a record close on New York's Dow Jones Industrial Average on better-than-expected US economic numbers.

The Nikkei 225 finished the day at 37,963. It surged more than 1,000 points or 2.9 percent from Friday. Monday was a holiday in Japan.

The index briefly topped the 38,000 mark for the first time since January 1990. Semiconductor and communications-related shares led the way on the back of a robust Japanese corporate performance.

The Nikkei Stock Average has gained 5 percent over the past three trading days. The benchmark is getting closer to its highest-ever point of 38,915, which it reached in December 1989.