TOKYO, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Alimentation Couche-Tard ( ANCTF )

is not considering a hostile takeover bid for Japan's

Seven & i ( SVNDF ), the Nikkei business daily quoted the

Canadian suitor's chairman and co-founder, Alain Bouchard, as

saying.

In an interview with Japanese media conducted in Canada on

Thursday, Bouchard said a hostile bid "was not among factors

being considered," indicating the company's intention to secure

an amicable acquisition deal, the Nikkei reported.

Couche-Tard, which competes with Seven & i ( SVNDF ) in the North

American gas station market, in August made an initial bid to

take over the Japanese retail giant. It later raised its offer

to $47 billion, in what would be the largest-ever foreign

takeover of a Japanese company.

Seven & i ( SVNDF ), which operates more than 80,000 7-Eleven

convenience stores around the world, is caught in a three-way

tug-of-war between Couche-Tard, Seven & i's ( SVNDF ) founding family,

which is proposing a management buyout, and company management

who say their growth plan can enhance value.

Asked whether Couche-Tard could raise its bidding price

further, CEO Alex Miller, who also attended the interview, said:

"The current proposed price is attractive for all stakeholders."

(Reporting by Chang-Ran Kim; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)