TOKYO, Sept 20 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei share average

rose strongly in early trading on Friday, tracking overnight

gains on Wall Street, while traders also kept a wary eye on a

Bank of Japan policy announcement later in the day.

The tech-heavy Nikkei was up 1.8% at 37,822.84, as

of 00:04 GMT, with chip-sector stocks outperforming in line with

U.S. equity moves on Thursday. Chip-making equipment giant Tokyo

Electron ( TOELF ) soared 4.6%.

Automakers also gained amid a weakening yen, which boosts

the value of overseas revenue. Toyota Motor ( TM ) advanced

1.7%.

Of the Nikkei's 225 components, 211 rose, 12 fell and two

were trading flat.

The broader Topix gained 1.42%.

The time of the BOJ announcement isn't set, but typically

comes around 03:00-04:30 GMT. Stocks are in a midday recess from

02:30-03:30 GMT.

The central bank is set to keep monetary policy steady on

Friday, but signal its confidence that solid wage growth and

consumption will allow it to raise interest rates again in

coming months.

BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda is due to brief media at 06:30 GMT.