TOKYO, March 10 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei share

average rebounded in choppy trade on Monday as major

semiconductor-related shares tracked U.S. peers' gains and

investors snapped up deals after last week's heavy losses,

although quickly changing tariff policies limited the index's

rise.

The Nikkei briefly slid to its lowest intraday level

since September 18 at 36,705.02, but reversed early losses to

rise0.6% at 37,095.85 by the midday break.

The broader Topix was up 0.2% at 2,714.54.

The Nikkei's bounce followed its third consecutive week of

declines, with the benchmark shedding just over 2% on Friday.

Chip-testing equipment maker Advantest ( ADTTF ), up 2.7%,

offered the biggest lift as Japan's chip-related stocks got a

boost from last week's gains in U.S. technology shares.

The Philadelphia SE Semiconductor Index surged 3.2%

to outperform on Friday amid Wall Street gains, with U.S. stocks

rebounding from early declines after Federal Reserve Chair

Jerome Powell said the economy was "in a good place."

However, global uncertainty continued to weigh on sentiment.

In a Fox News interview broadcast on Sunday, President Donald

Trump declined to rule out the possibility of a recession in the

world's largest economy amid stock market concerns about his

tariff actions on Mexico, Canada and China over fentanyl, adding

to investors' unease.

U.S. stock futures were down during Asian trade, potentially

weighing on the Nikkei, while tariff concerns were creating some

turbulence in the market, said Nomura Securities strategist Maki

Sawada.

"Overall caution towards Trump's tariff policies and

retaliatory levies is acting as a drag," contributing to the dip

in early trade, she said.

Lasertec ( LSRCF ), which makes inspection equipment used in

chip-making, jumped 6.5% to become the biggest percentage winner

on the Nikkei, followed by industrial automation system maker

SMC Corp ( SMECF ) gaining nearly 6%.

Among other shares, AI-focused startup investor SoftBank

Group was up 2.1%, chip-making equipment giant Tokyo

Electron ( TOELF ) rose 1.8%, and chip-testing equipment

manufacturer Disco Corp ( DISPF ) rallied 4.9%.