(Updates with closing prices)

By Kevin Buckland

TOKYO, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei share average

fell on Monday, taking cues from losses on Wall Street at the

end of last week, after Bank of Japan chief Kazuo Ueda failed to

offer strong hints on the timing of additional interest rate

hikes.

Japanese technology stocks tracked losses among U.S peers,

while shares of local drugmakers declined after a noted vaccine

sceptic was appointed to head the U.S. health department.

Ueda reiterated that the central bank is prepared to raise

borrowing costs if the economy aligns with its forecasts, while

cautioning about external risks, including uncertainty over the

U.S. economy and volatile financial markets.

The Nikkei ended the day down 1.09% at 38,220.85.

The broader Topix lost 0.73%.

Japanese stocks got some respite after the yen retreated to

the weaker side of 155 per dollar from as strong as

153.84 during the session, but the currency was back at 154.32,

as of 0633 GMT.

A strong yen reduces the value of overseas revenue for

Japan's heavyweight exporters, and also makes Japanese stocks

more expensive for foreign investors.

On Friday, all three of the main Wall Street indexes

declined and the Philadelphia SE Semiconductor Index

slumped 3.4%.

The initial euphoria over a Donald Trump election win

ushering in easier regulation and bigger fiscal spending shifted

last week to worries over the potential for higher inflation

under his policies that could slow Federal Reserve rate cuts.

His cabinet picks have also caused some concerns, including

the appointment of Robert Kennedy Jr, who has spread

misinformation on vaccines, to head the Department of Health and

Human Services.

Chugai Pharmaceutical ( CHGCF ) slid 10%, making drugmakers

the worst performers among the Tokyo Stock Exchange's

33 industry groups by a wide margin.

"Whether the Trump trade is over or just on pause is not

possible to discern at the moment," said Kazuo Kamitani, an

equities strategist at Nomura Securities.

"My personal feeling is that the market will be turbulent

all of this month."

Among tech names, Tokyo Electron ( TOELF ) dropped 1.59% and

startup investor SoftBank Group fell 2.09%.

Nvidia supplier Advantest ( ADTTF ) was volatile, dropping as

much as 3.58% before bouncing as much as 1.38% and eventually

ending the day with a 0.39% loss.

Nvidia's earnings report on Wednesday will be one of the

most closely watched market events of the week.