Nikkei up 1.6 percent, exporters lifted by weaker yen

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei average rose 1.6 percent on Friday, with exporters such as Canon Inc (7751.T) buoyed by a weaker yen and optimism over the U.S. economy after surprisingly strong figures on jobs and retail sales.

A jump in oil prices boosted natural resource stocks such as oil and gas field developer Inpex Holdings Inc (1605.T) and trading house Mitsubishi Corp (8058.T).

The benchmark Nikkei ended the morning up 222.02 points at 14,563.14. The broader TOPIX index gained 1.1 percent to 1,440.26.