Nikkei up on Wall St, yen

TOKYO, Japan (Reuters) -- Japanese stocks opened firmer on Thursday, led by Toyota Motor Corp and other blue chips after their U.S. peers rose for a sixth straight session and the dollar hit a one-month high on the yen as the war deadline nears.

The Nikkei average was up 0.95 percent or 76.73 points at 8,127.77 in early trading after rising 1.21 percent in the previous session. The broader TOPIX index of all first section stocks put on 0.88 percent to 795.55.

Top auto maker Toyota rose 1.62 percent to 2,815 yen, while chip equipment giant Tokyo Electron Ltd firmed 1.83

percent to 5,020 yen.

Analysts said gains would likely be limited by caution as the expiration of Washington's ultimatum for Iraqi President Saddam

Hussein to leave Iraq ends at 0100 GMT, meaning war could start as early as 10:00 a.m. Japan time.

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