Nintendo became Japan’s second-biggest company by market capitalisation behind Toyota on Tuesday, underlining how the success of the Wii games console has transformed the fortunes of the Kyoto-based company.

Shares in Nintendo closed up 3.1 per cent to Y59,200 bringing its market value to Y8,390bn ($73.2bn), surpassing Canon’s market cap of Y8,120bn. But the gap between Nintendo and Toyota remains substantial. Toyota’s market capitalisation is Y24,000bn.