TOKYO, April 16 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo stocks closed higher on Monday as investor sentiment tuned somewhat positive on easing concerns following U.S.-led strikes on Syria over the weekend.

The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average added 56.79 points, or 0.26 percent, from Friday to close the day at 21,835.53.

The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, meanwhile, gained 6.86 points, or 0.40 percent, to finish at 1,736.22.

Stocks here gathered steam throughout the day as investors digested the impact of the U.S.-led strikes on Syria, with brokers here saying there was some market relief that military activity was limited.

By the close of play, pharmaceutical, fishery and agriculture, and retail-linked issues comprised those that gained the most, and rising issues beat declining ones by 1,192 to 805 on the First Section, with 85 ending the day unchanged.

On the main section on Monday, 1,310.43 million shares changed hands, dropping from Friday's volume of 1,527.66 million shares.

The turnover on the first trading day of the week came to 2,038.8 billion yen (19.01 billion U.S. dollars).