Asian shares rallied Thursday, led by a powerful technology sector rebound in Japan and South Korea. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index surged 4.6% to a record close of 72,366.34, with chipmaker Tokyo Electron gaining 7.8% and Advantest soaring 15%. South Korea's Kospi jumped 5.4% to a new record of 8,930.30 after briefly topping 9,000, as Samsung Electronics rose 5.3% and SK Hynix leaped 13%. The gains followed upbeat earnings reports from US tech giants that boosted global sentiment.