Japan's shares moved higher on Thursday amid improved market sentiment as PBOC pumped the record amount of capital into China's economy. However, Japanese equities remained under pressure as instability in Eurozone persisted. Meanwhile, market players anticipated key data releases from the US due later in the day. The Nikkei 225 Index advanced 0.49% to close at 8,949.87. Seven out of ten sectors within the index climbed. The largest gainers were health care and utility companies. Chugai Pharmaceutical and Dainippon Sumitomo Pharma added 2.10% and 1.88% while Chubu Electric Power and Osaka Gas climbed 2.11% and 0.29%. Sending Japanese stock index lower, basic materials and technology companies slumped 0.33% and 0.27%. Denki Kagaku Kogyo and Kobe Steel dropped 0.81% and 6.25% while Citizen Holdings and Konica Alps Electric lost 0.49% and 2.38%.