Tokyo stocks opened higher Thursday, tracking overnight gains on Wall Street after U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said he is inclined to propose a more modest interest rate hike this month than some investors had feared. In the first 15 minutes of trading, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average rose 263.66 points, or 1.00 percent, from Wednesday to 26,656.69. The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange was up 22.99 points, or 1.24 percent, at 1,882.93. Every industry category gained ground, led by mining, oil and coal product, and wholesale trade is…