major automaker nissan has halted production at its engine factory in the city of iwaki in fukushima prefecture. workers have been evacuated from the plant and are safe. the plant is being checked for possible damage. chemicalmaker kuraha halted production but work has now resumed. several supermarkets and convenience stores in fukushima, miyagi, and ibaraki prefectures closed temporarily to evacuate employees. they're reopening as they confirm the safety of their outlets. >>> checking the markets, tokyo share prices edged higher after a cautious reaction to the earthquake in northeastern japan. a resilient dollar and higher oil prices supported sentiment. our business reporter reports from the tokyo stock exchange. >> risk weary investors sold the dollar and stocks in the initial knee-jerk response, but the dollar bounced back and stocks regained strength in the afternoon as market players saw that quake damage was limited. the nikkei 225 added 0.3%, ending at 18,162. that's the highest close since early january and marks five straight days of gains. the broader topix advanced for t