(Updates to market close)

By Rocky Swift

TOKYO, June 11 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei share gauge

climbed for a fourth straight session on Wednesday after a

tentative trade truce between the U.S. and China supported

demand for higher-yielding assets.

The Nikkei 225 Index gained 0.6% and logged its

longest winning streak in about a month. Year-to-date, it is

down 4.2%. The broader Topix gauge rose about 0.1%.

Chip-sector heavyweights Sumco ( SUMCF ) and Tokyo Electron ( TOELF )

surged 11% and 4.8%, respectively, on optimism that a

U.S.-China agreement will lead to the lifting of Chinese export

curbs on rare earth minerals critical to high-tech sectors.

Sumco ( SUMCF ) was the biggest gainer on the Nikkei, followed by

Socionext ( SOCNF ), which gained 6.3%.

Mazda Motor ( MZDAF ) climbed 1.2% as the yen weakened,

boosting exporters' shares.

The biggest loser on the Nikkei was Hino Motors ( HINOF ),

which slid 18% to log its steepest daily percentage decline

since October 2023.

The truckmaking unit of Toyota Motor ( TM ) said on

Tuesday it would issue new shares as part of a merger agreement

with Mitsubishi Fuso.

U.S. President Donald Trump's on-again, off-again tariff

spats have largely been factored into global equity prices, but

Japanese stocks have yet to recover to highs seen around the

beginning of the year, said Tatsunori Kawai, chief strategist at

Mitsubishi UFJ eSmart Securities.

Following next week's meetings of the Bank of Japan (BOJ)

and the Federal Reserve, Japan's summer bonuses and company

dividends could be key catalysts driving domestic shares higher.

"With those funds in the pipeline, I think the inflow of

money into the market will continue," Kawai said.

"After we get through next week, I think it's basically

easier to go higher and catch up with U.S. equities."