With China, Korea and Taiwan shut, Tokyo is the main venue in Asia for chip and AI trades today, which can amplify moves in names like Tokyo Electron and Advantest. The dividend-driven buying has a set expiry: once Monday's deadline passes, the shares typically go ex-dividend and lose that support. The market is treating the Oracle power delay as a problem for one company, not the whole sector. Chip equipment makers rallied while SoftBank took the hit, but repeated energy bottlenecks could change that view quickly. When Korean and Taiwanese markets reopen, they may catch up to Tokyo's chip gains, or unwind them if sentiment turns. A firm Nikkei alongside a weak yen also supports the view that rate hikes are not yet hurting Japanese equities.--With much of Asia on holiday, Tokyo had the region largely to itself and rallied on chip stocks and dividend buying. SoftBank's slide on the Oracle power delay was a reminder that the AI build-out still depends on energy supply.Summary:The Nikkei and Topix were both up 1.2% at the midday breakChip stocks led: Tokyo Electron up about 4%, Advantest up circa 2.5%, and Ibiden up circa 5.5% after an almost 15% jump the day beforeInvestors bought ahead of Monday's deadline to qualify for interim dividendsStrategists cited solid economic data and central banks' commitment to fighting inflation as supportsSoftBank fell circa 2.5% after Oracle slipped on a report of a power-related delay at a New Mexico data centreMainland China, South Korea and Taiwan were closed for holidaysJapanese shares climbed on Friday morning, lifted by gains in AI-related stocks and by buying ahead of Monday's deadline to qualify for interim dividends. The Nikkei and the broader Topix were both up 1.2% at the midday break. Tokyo carried much of the region's trading, with markets in mainland China, South Korea and Taiwan closed for holidays.Chip-related names did the heavy lifting. Tokyo Electron rose about 4% and Advantest gained circa 2.5%, together providing the biggest contribution to the Nikkei's advance. Ibiden, which makes components used in central processing units, added circa 5.5% after surging almost 15% in the previous session.Strategists said the dividend deadline brought in buyers looking to secure payouts, but that demand for chip stocks was the bigger driver. Solid economic data has also supported technology shares. One analyst said the clear signals from central banks in both the United States and Japan that they will raise rates to contain inflation had bolstered investor confidence in equities. That is a notable reading, given the recent sell-off in global bond markets.Not every AI name joined the rally. SoftBank Group fell circa 2.5% after Oracle shares slipped 3% overnight. That followed a report that Oracle had issued a force majeure notice to a unit of Blue Owl, the developer of a large data centre in New Mexico, citing possible delays in securing power for the project. SoftBank is a co-investor with Oracle and OpenAI in the Stargate AI infrastructure venture, which leaves it exposed to any sign of setbacks in the build-out.The Oracle report highlights one of the practical constraints on AI spending. Power supply has emerged as a bottleneck for large data centre projects, and delays in securing energy can slow investment timelines even when demand remains strong. For chip equipment makers such as Tokyo Electron and Advantest, the market is betting that such hurdles stretch the cycle out rather than cut it short.With three of Asia's biggest markets shut, Friday's session offered a glimpse of how Tokyo trades when much of the region is absent. Mainland China will close again for the week-long National Day holiday from October 1, while Tokyo stays open. This article was written by Eamonn Sheridan at investinglive.com.