Nikkei hits 15-month high but gains limited; Japan Airlines falls

Japan's Nikkei stock average hit a 15-month high on Friday, with chip-related shares climbing on growing global demand for high-tech shares, but gains were capped by profit-taking ahead of key US jobs data.                                          

Japan Airlines fell nearly 12 percent on increasing bankruptcy worries, with the Nikkei business daily saying the government has firmed up its stance to put JAL through a bankruptcy procedure as part of a restructuring plan led by a state-backed turnaround fund. 

The benchmark Nikkei rose 1.1 percent or 116.66 points to 10,798.32 and marked a weekly gain of 2.4 percent. The broader Topix rose 1 percent to 941.29.