Tokyo, Nov 4 (IANS) The Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) will extend its trading hours by 30 minutes starting Tuesday, shifting the market's closing time from 3:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the first such adjustment in 70 years.

The TSE's trading schedule will be 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., with a one-hour lunch break, resuming from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. for a total of five and a half hours.

The move aims to boost market activity and appeal to both domestic and international investors by expanding trading opportunities, Xinhua news agency reported.

Although there were prior discussions about extending trading hours, concerns about administrative burdens on securities firms had prevented such changes until now.