(Updates with closing prices)

By Kevin Buckland

TOKYO, Jan 16 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei share average

rose on Thursday, tracking a rally in Wall Street on robust U.S.

bank earnings and a cooling in core consumer inflation.

The Nikkei added 0.33% to close at 38,572.60,

snapping a five-day losing streak.

However, gains were capped by a rallying yen as traders

ramped up bets that the Bank of Japan (BOJ) will raise interest

rates at its policy meeting next week.

The broader Topix index finished flat.

Financials were among the Nikkei's best performing

sectors after U.S. banks, including JPMorgan ( JPM ) and Goldman

Sachs ( GS ), reported a surge in profits overnight. Nomura

Holdings ( NMR ), Japan's biggest brokerage, advanced 3.27%.

Moderating U.S. core inflation saw a revival in wagers for

the Federal Reserve to lower rates again by July, boosting

investor sentiment.

At the same time, comments from BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda and

one of his deputies, Ryozo Himino, this week opened the doors

for a rate hike on Jan. 24, barring any resurgence in market

volatility after Donald Trump's inauguration as U.S. President.

"If the U.S. earnings season continues to produce robust

results like we saw from financials yesterday, it's likely that

stock markets will perform well on that," said Maki Sawada, a

strategist at Nomura Securities.

"But heading into the BOJ meeting next week and Trump's

inauguration, the uncertainty surrounding those big events are a

growing weight on sentiment."

The yen strengthened to a nearly one-month high of 155.21

per U.S. dollar, preventing a bigger rally for the

Nikkei and weighing on automakers in particular, as a stronger

home currency reduces the value of overseas revenues. Nissan ( NSANF )

slumped 4.42% and Toyota ( TM ) slid 2.21%.

By contrast, home furnishings retailer Nittori,

which sources a lot of its products from abroad, jumped 4.95% to

be among the Nikkei's top performers.