Most Asian stock markets rose Tuesday after Japan reported better-than-expected data for April, and Chinese mainland markets up more than 2%.

    Shares in Japan were also buoyed by expectations that a 2017 sales tax hike will be delayed until 2019, and by a weakening in the Japanese yen. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 0.98% at 17,234.98. 

    Chinese mainland markets soared with the Shanghai Composite closed up 3.32% at 2,916.49 and the Shenzhen composite closed 4.091% higher at 1,872.359. In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng index was 1.2% higher at 3:22 p.m. HK/SIN time.

    South Korea's Kospi added 0.83% to 1,983.4. Meanwhile, Sydney's S&P/ASX 200 closed down 0.54% at 5,378.6,. Shares in Taiwan and Southeast Asia were mostly lower