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From Hong Kong Hang Seng (HSI) was up 0.3% at market opening, gaining ground after posting losses on Thursday. From Japan Nikkei (N225) jumped nearly 1%.
The markets of mainland China and South Korea were closed during the holidays.
Investors remain optimistic in anticipation of the long-awaited trade talks between the United States and China in the coming weeks. Both countries have shown in recent days that they were interested in easing tensions between them.
US President Donald Trump added to that Thursday by talking to reporters. If he said he preferred to enter into a "full" trade agreement with China, he did not rule out the possibility of a smaller agreement.
Some of Trump's advisers have suggested the prospect of a smaller deal that would allow both parties to agree on easier issues to resolve, leaving thorny issues such as intellectual property theft or monetary manipulation for later discussions.
The United States and China are expected to meet again soon for face-to-face talks in Washington.
Investors are also waiting for the prospect of a stronger central bank stimulus.
The European Central Bank announced on Thursday that it would lower its deposit interest rate by 10 basis points to minus 0.5%, thus pushing rates further into negative territory in order to support the lending. declining economy of the region.
She also announced that she would start printing again, promising to buy 20 billion euros in bonds and other financial assets a month starting in November.
Markets are now waiting for the Federal Reserve's policy meeting next week. Forecasts of interest rate reductions of one-quarter of a percentage point are 91.2%, according to CME's FedWatch tool.
The central banks of Japan, Taiwan and Indonesia will all meet next week as well. Japan's interest rates are already very low and investors are looking at whether the central bank will further ease its monetary policy in the future.
"Monetary easing is gaining ground in developed markets," analysts said for Asia within the Dutch bank ING Group. Analysts added that they did not think the Bank of Japan "wants to fall behind and risk a new weakness in the economy."
Kevin Liptak from CNN contributed to this report.
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