The Nikkei gained 0.8 percent to 17,134.37, the highest closing level since March 14.
As March 31 is the business year-end for a majority of listed companies, the market was also underpinned by investor purchases of stocks before they go ex-dividend on Monday.
China stocks gave up early gains as a late afternoon slide in property shares wiped out initial optimism triggered by encouraging industrial profit data released over the weekend.
The CSI300 index of the largest listed companies in Shanghai and Shenzhen fell 0.9 percent, to 3,169.73, while the Shanghai Composite Index lost 0.7 percent, to 2,957.82 points.
The indexes were firm in morning trading, helped by data on Sunday showing industrial profits of Chinese firms returned to growth in the first two months of the year despite a slowing economy.
Reference: Reuters
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