Buying of Japanese stocks continued to soar in recent days, according to figures released Thursday, with a net total of Y1.01 trillion ($10.5 billion) flowing into the market last week, the largest weekly figure since records began in 1982.

The strong demand from overseas, which accounts for an estimated 60%-67% of daily trading activity on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, has helped propel the market 43% higher over the past four months. The Nikkei Stock Average rose 1.2% Thursday as the yen renewed its fall against the dollar, just under its four-and-a-half year closing high reached Monday.

The weekly data from the Tokyo Stock Exchange for the week ending March 8, represented the 17th week that overseas buying has exceeded selling. The data cover trading on the first and second sections of the Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya stock exchanges as well as their start-up bourses.

The figures coincide with the sharpest run-up in Japan stocks in recent years, and just as the lower house of parliament voted to approve all three nominees for the top three posts at the Bank of Japan, including governor candidate Haruhiko Kuroda and deputy governor candidates Kikuo Iwata and Hiroshi Nakaso. Final confirmation is expected in the upper house Friday.