Tokyo stocks opened higher early Thursday morning, with market sentiment brightened after overnight gains of U.S. stocks. At 9:15 a.m., the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average was up 69.58 points, or 0.49 percent, from Wednesday to 14,373.69. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange gained 8.26 points, or 0.71 percent, at 1,170. 70.