Japan's Nikkei rises on weaker yen, easing worries about trade tensions

TOKYO, June 6 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei share average rose on Friday, as a weaker yen lifted sentiment, while concerns about trade tensions eased following a phone call between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The Nikkei .N225 rose 0.5% to 37,741.61 but fell 1% for the week. The broader Topix .TOPX climbed 0.47% to 2,769.33 while posting a 1.6% weekly loss.

"The trade talks seemed to have ended peacefully and that sent a positive sign to the market," said Naoki Fujiwara, senior fund manager at Shinkin Asset Management.

On Thursday, Trump held a long-awaited phone call with Xi Jinping, in an effort to resolve trade disputes between the world's two largest economies that have buffeted the global economy, and agreed to hold further discussions.

But caution ahead of the U.S. non-farm payrolls report, due later in the day, capped gains, Fujiwara said.

The Nikkei got technical support ahead of the fixing of special quotation prices, used to set values on index options and futures, next week, said Seiichi Suzuki, chief equity market analyst at Tokai Tokyo Intelligence Laboratory.

"Foreigners, who shorted the Nikkei futures, bought them back ahead of the fixing day, which also lifted the Nikkei index."

The yen, which last traded down 0.3% at 144 per dollar, also supported local equities, Shigetoshi Kamada, general manager at the research department of Tachibana Securities, said.

Chip-related heavyweights Tokyo Electron 8035.T and Advantest 6857.T rose 1.28% and 2.23%, respectively.

Automakers gained, with Honda Motor 7267.T and Nissan Motor 7201.T adding 1.3% and 1.27%, respectively, while Toyota Motor 7203.T moved 0.06% higher.

Panasonic Holdings 6752.T, which supplies batteries for Tesla TSLA.O, lost 2.37% after Tesla shares plunged 14.3%.

ispace 9348.T tanked 29% to 744 yen, hitting the day's exchange-allowed floor, after the space venture said that its uncrewed moon lander likely crashed onto the lunar surface during its touchdown attempt.