Tokyo stocks opened higher Thursday, boosted by Wall Street gains overnight on expectations U.S. interest rate cuts will begin in September, while a stronger yen weighed on exporters. In the first 15 minutes of trading, the 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average rose 177.29 points, or 0.47 percent, from Wednesday to 38,129.09. The broader Topix index was up 3.00 points, or 0.11 percent, at 2,667.86. On the top-tier Prime Market, gainers were led by warehousing and harbor transportation service, food and pharmaceutical issues. At 9 a.m., the U.S. dollar fetched 145.13-14 yen compared with 145.20-30 yen…