Nikkei up 0.8 pct on U.S. hopes, Toshiba jumps

                                
 * Nikkei gains 0.8 pct on soft yen, Wall St rise
                                
 * Hopes for steps by new U.S. president buoy market
                                
 * Toshiba jumps on U.S. nuclear deal report
 (Adds stocks, details)
                                
 By Aiko Hayashi
                                
 TOKYO, Jan 19 (Reuters) - The Nikkei average rose 0.8 percent
on Monday, buoyed by exporters such as Honda Motor Co <7267.T> on
a softer yen and by hopes for bold economic measures from the new
U.S. administration.
                                
 Toshiba Corp <6502.T> shot up more than 7 percent after a
newspaper reported the electronics conglomerate had won contracts
to build two nuclear power generation units for a project in
Texas planned by NRG Energy <NRG.N>, estimated to be worth 600
billion-800 billion yen ($6.6 billion-$8.8 billion).
                                
 "The focus is now on the inauguration of the U.S. president.
Hopes are growing again as economic stimulus steps will likely be
bigger than previously thought, and may include additional
measures to shore up banks," said Takahiko Murai, general manager
of equities at Nozomi Securities.
                                
 The United States and Britain on Sunday signalled urgent and
more forceful moves to reopen the world's clogged credit arteries
and Barack Obama prepared a "strong message" for banks after he
takes over the U.S. presidency this week. [ID:nN18459811]
                                
 The Nikkei <.N225> added 62.92 points to 8,293.07. It climbed
2.6 percent on Friday, though it lost nearly 7 percent on the
week. The broader Topix <.TOPX> gained 0.4 percent to 820.93.
                                
 "The Nikkei will likely be limited to 1,000 points above or
below the 8,000 mark until around March," Murai said.
                                
 Trade was light on the Tokyo exchange's first section, with
727 million shares changing hands, compared with last week's
morning average of 899 million.
                                
 Advancing stocks outpaced declining ones, 839 to 731.
                                
 "Trade will probably lack any specific direction today and
tomorrow. U.S. markets will be closed overnight, Obama takes
office on Tuesday and the U.S. earnings season will also heat up
this week," said Yumi Nishimura, manager at Daiwa Securities
SMBC.
                                
 U.S. markets will be closed on Monday for the Martin Luther
King Jr. Day holiday.
                                
 EXPORTERS UP, TOSHIBA JUMPS
                                
 The dollar rose 0.4 percent from late New York trade on
Friday to 91.03 yen <JPY=>. Investors welcome a softer yen as it
boosts exporters' overseas profits when repatriated.
                                
 Shares of Honda climbed 2.5 percent to 2,060 yen, while
Advantest Corp <6857.T>, world's top maker of chip testers,
jumped 5 percent to 1,325 yen and electronics component maker TDK
Corp <6762.T> also shot up 5 percent to 3,560 yen.
                                
 Toshiba powered 7.5 percent higher to 415 yen.
                                
 Sharp Corp <6753.T> rose 2.6 percent to 750 yen after
comments by rival LG Display Co Ltd <034220.KS> raised hopes that
the downturn in the liquid crystal display (LCD) industry may
have passed its worst.
                                
 LG Display said on Friday the LCD market had hit a bottom and
TV panel prices could recover in coming months. [nSEO233138]
                                
 Shipping firms including Nippon Yusen KK <9101.T> weakened
after a newspaper said Japan's three major shipping firms are
likely to see double-digit falls in profits for this business
year, hit by sluggish global transport activity. [ID:nT278025]
                                
 Nippon Yusen dipped 0.2 percent to 497 yen and Kawasaki Kisen
Kaisha Ltd <9107.T> shed 0.8 percent to 369 yen.
 (Reporting by Aiko Hayashi; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)