Japanese rubber futures climbed on Friday, driven by a strong rubber market in Shanghai and a rise in Tokyo stocks, even as the yen gained against the U.S. dollar.
The Osaka Exchange (OSE) rubber contract for August delivery TRB1!, 
TRB1! was up 4.5 yen, or 1.31%, at 347.5 yen ($2.3) per kg as of 0323 GMT.
The contract has lost about 0.6% so far this week.
The rubber contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) for May delivery RSS31! rose 120 yuan, or 0.71%, to 16,945 yuan ($2,338) per metric ton.
The yen 
USDJPY traded at around 149.01 against the U.S. dollar, compared with 149.75 yen on Wednesday afternoon, making yen-denominated assets less affordable to overseas buyers. The Japanese financial markets were closed on Thursday due to a national holiday.
Japan’s Topix 
TOPIX climbed to an eight-month high on Friday, as financials gained following stronger-than-expected inflation data, which fuelled expectations for interest rate…
