Investors continued to chase export issues after the Bank of Japan's recent invervention to bring the yen down against the dollar kept the US currency above the 12 0 level, brokers said.

Finance minister Kiichi Miyazawa also said Tuesday Japan was determined to support the economy and the business environment by taking `determined action' in the foreign exchange market.

``The market favoured the Bank of Japan's intervention as a stronger yen depresses corporate performance and causes deflation,'' said Kazunori Jinnai, deputy equity department manager at Daiwa Securities Co Ltd.The weak yen would make prices of Japanese exports more competitive. The strong dollar would keep institutional investors from selling US bonds and help deter cons equent rises in US bondyields and selling on Wall Street.

``It is very likely that the BoJ will intervene again as soon as the yen reachesthe 117 range,'' Daiwa's Jinnai said. The Topix index of all issues on the first section went up 3.80 points to 1,385.07, with an estimated 584 million shares changing hands on the section against Monday's 623.9 million.