The Nikkei 225 Stock Average rose 2.7 percent for the week, led by Canon Inc, after the country's biggest office equipment maker said profit more than doubled in the first quarter. Canon gained 4.1 percent this week.
Canon on April 30 said sales rose by 12 percent, aided by demand for its color printers and IXY digital cameras.
Sony Corp was the heaviest drag on the Nikkei average.
Shares of the world's second-largest consumer-electronics maker ended the week 11 percent lower.
Moody's Investors Service placed Sony's Aa3 long-term unsecured senior debt rating under review for a possible cut. The rating is the fourth highest of Moody's 10 investment-grade levels. A cut in Sony's rating would be the first in at least 17 1/2 years.
Japan's Topix index ended the week 2.9 percent higher, led by Mitsubishi Tokyo Financial Group Inc, after the < Mitsubishi Tokyo, Japan's third-largest bank by assets, gained 12 percent. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group Inc, the nation's No. 2 lender, gained 15 percent. South Korea's Kospi index ended the week 5.4 percent higher. Samsung Electronics Co, the world's biggest memory-chip maker, led gains after a rebound in business confidence in April indicated sales may improve. The Federation of Korean Industries, which represents Korea's largest industrial groups, said its business confidence index rose to 108.1 from 90.2 points in March, when it had its biggest decline in 10 months. A reading above 100 indicates most companies are optimistic about the economic outlook. Samsung gained 6.8 percent for the week, while Hyundai Motor Co, South Korea's largest automaker, advanced 11 percent.
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