Japan's Nikkei index closed at a record high, with the Nikkei 225 index rising 1.2% to 44,372.50 points.

Led by Softbank Group Corp's strong performance, Japan's Nikkei index climbed to a historic high on Thursday. The surge came as markets showed optimism toward artificial intelligence (AI)-driven cloud business growth, with Softbank shares rising alongside their U.S. counterparts.

"Softbank Group Corp drove the Nikkei higher, boosted by market expectations for continued cloud business growth following Oracle's stock surge," said Yugo Tsuboi, chief strategist at Daiwa Securities. Technology company Oracle's shares soared 36% overnight, marking its largest single-day gain since 1992.

Technology investment giant Softbank Group Corp's stock jumped 10%, with shares also closing at an all-time high.