(Updates with closing prices)

By Kevin Buckland

TOKYO, April 2 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei share average

ended Wednesday with a small rise after swinging between gains

and losses, as traders positioned for U.S. President Donald

Trump's tariffs.

The Nikkei finished up 0.28% at 35,725.87. Earlier,

it had slipped 0.56% to 35,426.33, its lowest since September

11, after opening the day higher.

The broader Topix also opened higher but quickly

reversed direction to sink as much as 1.17%. It ended down

0.43%.

The Nikkei performed relatively better as some of its most

heavily-weighted stocks gained, including Uniqlo-owner Fast

Retailing ( FRCOF ), up 3.74%, and chip-testing equipment maker

Advantest ( ADTTF ), jumping 2.55%. Both stocks were rebounding

off multi-month lows reached earlier this week.

Energy shares were under particular pressure on the Tokyo

bourse, after crude oil eased off of five-month highs overnight.

Electric and gas stocks dropped 2.75% and miners

, including oil explorers, declined 2.2%.

For weeks, Trump has touted April 2 as "Liberation Day,"

which will see dramatic new duties that could upend the global

trade system. A White House announcement is scheduled for 2000

GMT.

The White House said on Tuesday that reciprocal tariffs will

take effect immediately after Trump announces them. The 25%

tariff on auto imports will take effect on April 3.

Automakers and parts suppliers formed the

second-best performers among the Tokyo Stock Exchange's 33

industry sub-indexes on Wednesday, advancing 0.86%, but remained

not far from a nearly four-month low hit on Monday at the end of

a steep three-day dive.

"It's very difficult to read what will happen, that's the

situation we're in," Nomura Securities equities strategist Kazuo

Kamitani said.

"We need to pay close attention to the news flow out of the

U.S.," and if it is bad, the Nikkei could drop to around the

35,000 level, which should provide a near-term floor, Kamitani

said.