(Updates with closing levels)

By Brigid Riley

TOKYO, April 24 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei share average

locked in a third consecutive day of gains on Wednesday,

tracking Wall Street higher to break above 38,000 points as

investors continued to snap up tech-related shares.

The Nikkei finished up 2.4% at 38,460.08, retaining

the 38,000-point range into the close for the first time in just

over a week.

The broader Topix closed 1.7% higher at 2710.73.

Japanese shares have had a bumpy month since the benchmark

index rose to a record high of 41,087.75 at the end of March. It

sank as low as 36,733.06 last week on factors such as

geopolitical concerns and profit-taking.

However, sentiment has turned favourable on risk assets

again as fears of a re-escalation in the Middle East eased and

U.S. stocks closed higher overnight following positive earnings

from top-tier companies, giving the Nikkei a boost.

"Japanese stocks are currently enjoying the bid from Wall

Street as well as the weak yen," said Charu Chanana, head of

currency strategy and global market strategist at Saxo.

A weaker yen tends to boost Japanese export shares, as it

raises the value of overseas profits in yen terms when firms

repatriate them to Japan.

Toyota Motor ( TM ), which rose 3.1%, and other

export-related stocks performed strongly as the dollar traded

around a 34-year high against the Japanese currency.

Chip-related shares saw some of the largest gains, with

Tokyo Electron ( TOELF ) jumping 7.1% and Advantest ( ADTTF ) up

3.6%. Renesas Electronics ( RNECF ) climbed 10.5% to become the

day's biggest winner.

Risks lie ahead though, as the earnings season heats up in

the United States, Chanana said.

Although the Nikkei "has room to hold despite risks of

an intervention, the bid in U.S. equities is highly vulnerable

to the big tech companies reporting earnings this week," Chanana

added.

In individual stocks, Nikon ( NINOF ) surged 10.3%, its

biggest daily gain in 11 years, after an official filing showed

investment management company Silchester holds a 5.02% stake in

the camera maker.