English/Nat The Nikkei Stock Average of 225 issues closed at 18,850.92 points on the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Tuesday, up 657.51 points, or 3.61 percent from Friday. Prices rose sharply following a new closing high in the Dow Jones industrial average at 11,572.20 on Monday. Financial markets in Tokyo were closed Monday for a national holiday. Morning gainers in Tokyo included high-technology and communications issues, which were boosted by gains in U-S counterparts following news of a proposed merger between America Online and Time Warner. In currency dealings, though the dollar fell from its Friday level in Tokyo, it edged higher compared with Monday's New York level as demand for U-S stocks supported buying of the greenback. Traders said the dollar's relatively firm tone should be bolstered by lingering expectations that the upcoming meeting of finance ministers and central bankers from the Group of Seven industrialized nations will discuss the yen's strength. Finance officials from the G-7 - the United States, Japan, Britain, Germany, France, Canada and Italy - are scheduled to gather in Tokyo on January 22, 2000. SOUNDBITE:(English) \"Of course you've had this big announcement of a deal between Time Warner and AOL, and people are looking for whether there are japanese companies that will benefit from that sort of thing as well, so it's volatile because valuations are high, but there are some exciting things going on. So it's a battle between the valuations and the excitement if you like \" SUPER CAPTION: Gary Evans, Chief Strategist, HSBC Japan SOUNDBITE:(English) \"While some of these businesses are exciting, the internet is exciting, telecoms is a growing business, but there is a price for everything, both in the US and perhaps more so in Japan, those stocks have gone beyond their fair value, so we think there will be a correction at some point.\" SUPER CAPTION: Gary Evans, Chief Strategist, HSBC Japan You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/fba921b5252b83030cf774a758059202 Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork