(Updates at 0600 GMT)

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

fell nearly 2% on Tuesday to close at an eight-week low as

technology stocks tracked the overnight declines on Wall Street.

The Nikkei fell 1.94% to 38,471.20, its lowest close

since Feb. 21. The index lost as much as 2.3% during the

session.

The broader Topix lost 2.04% to 2,697.11.

"Japanese stocks tracked overnight U.S. equities lower,"

Shuutarou Yasuda, a market analyst at Tokai Tokyo Intelligence

Laboratory said.

U.S. stocks closed sharply lower due to a jump in Treasury

yields and concerns about rising geopolitical tensions between

Iran and Israel.

"The yen's weakness did not help lift appetite for local

stocks because the yen kept its momentum against other

currencies. It is just that the dollar was strong against other

currencies," Yasuda said.

The dollar rose to a five-month high against major peer

currencies on Tuesday following hotter-than-expected U.S. retail

sales figures, with the yen breaching 154 per dollar

to its weakest level in 34 years.

Among individual stocks, chip-making equipment maker Tokyo

Electron ( TOELF ) slid 4.15% to become the biggest drag on the

Nikkei, while chip-testing equipment maker Advantest ( ADTTF )

lost 3.76%.

Uniqlo-brand owner Fast Retailing ( FRCOF ) fell 1.8%.

J.Front Retailing ( JFROF ) tanked 9.15% to become the worst

percentage loser on the Nikkei after the department store

operator cut its annual profit forecast. Its peer Isetan

Mitsukoshi Holdings ( IMHDF ) lost 8.3%.

Bucking the trend, Toho surged 7.4% after the

cinema operator posted a 35.5% rise in its annual net profit and

announced a share buyback program.

Nidec ( NNDNF ) jumped 6.87% after the motor maker announced

a tenfold production capacity expansion in Thailand to make

water-cooling modules for AI servers.

Of the 225 components on the Nikkei, 33 stocks rose and 191

fell, with one flat.

(Reporting by Junko Fujita; Editing by Mrigank Dhaniwala)