TOKYO, Oct 6 (Reuters) - French-Italian eyewear maker

EssilorLuxottica has secured permission to raise its

stake in Japan's Nikon ( NINOF ) to as much as 20% under Japan's

Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act, Nikon ( NINOF ) said on Monday.

The maker of Ray-Ban sunglasses has also raised its holding

in Nikon ( NINOF ) to 10.8% from 9.6% to become the largest shareholder,

Nikon ( NINOF ) said in a release.

Nikon ( NINOF ) makes cameras, lenses and lithography equipment used

in chipmaking. The company classifies itself as "core" to

national security in a Japanese finance ministry list.

EssilorLuxottica's chief executive said earlier this

year that he was considering

acquisitions. The company declined to comment.

EssilorLuxottica first established a Tokyo-based lens

wholesale joint venture with Nikon ( NINOF ) in 2000.

It has been increasing its holding in Nikon ( NINOF ) since last

year, sparking a rally in Nikon's ( NINOF ) shares, which closed up 5% on

Monday.

It has also been working with Meta to develop

smart glasses as companies look for hardware with growth

prospects beyond the smartphone.

Foreign firms have shown growing interest in Japanese

companies with sought-after technology.

Last month Taiwanese firm

Yageo

received approval to acquire Shibaura Electronics, a major

thermistor sensors maker, after a seven-month national security

review.