Japanese shares rose 1.2 per cent Wednesday, the first trading day of 2012, with export-oriented issues bolstered by overnight gains on Wall Street and European markets. The benchmark Nikkei 225 Stock Average gained 104.76 points, or 1.24 per cent, to close at 8,560.11 while the broader Topix index was up 14.38 points, or 1.97 per cent, at 742.99, according to a report of the German Press Agency "DPA".