TOKYO, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei share average

gained on Monday, buoyed by Wall Street's Friday rally.

The Nikkei added 0.8% to 39,017.32 as of 0209 GMT.

The broader Topix rose 0.7%.

Big tech names supported the Nikkei's rise, with

chip-testing equipment maker Advantest ( ADTTF ) soaring 4% to be

the index's top performer. Chip-making machinery giant Tokyo

Electron ( TOELF ) firmed 1.6%.

Wall Street's three main indexes advanced 1% or more on

Friday after a benign reading of U.S. inflation saw traders

raise bets for interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve next

year. The Philadelphia SE Semiconductor Index

outperformed with a 1.5% jump.

U.S. S&P 500 futures were up 0.3% on Monday.

The auto sub-index was the top performer among

the Tokyo Stock Exchange's 33 industry groups, climbing 1.7%.

Toyota ( TM ) was up 2.2%.

The carmakers' rally came despite a rebound in the yen from

a five-month low to the U.S. dollar on Friday, although at

156.40 yen per U.S. dollar, the Japanese currency remained more

than 1% below where it started the day on Thursday. A weak local

currency increases the value of overseas sales.

Equity sentiment was also supported by the passage of

spending legislation in the U.S. Congress on Saturday, averting

a destabilizing government shutdown ahead of the busy holiday

travel season.

The Nikkei has climbed 2.2% so far in December, putting it

on track for a 16.7% rally this year. The last trading day of

the year in Japan will be Dec. 30.