Nikkei climbs to 5-week high, aided by chip-related firms, Apple suppliers

* Nikkei rises 0.5 pct for the week

* Mothers market has solid rise for 3rd straight day

* Apple-suppliers attract buying after chip sector's strength

* Investors wary over U.S.-China trade talks - analyst

By Ayai Tomisawa

TOKYO, Jan 25 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei reached a five-week high on Friday as chip-related firms tracked sharp rises by U.S. counterparts, while some investors awaited major events next week for direction.

The Nikkei share average .N225 rose 1.0 percent to 20,773.56, the highest closing level since Dec. 19. The benchmark index gained 0.5 percent for the week.

Investors also sought buying opportunities in small-to-mid sized stocks, with the Mothers market .MTHR rising 1.7 percent. It was the index's third straight gain of more than 1 percent.

Chip-related stocks, which rallied on Thursday after investors took heart from Texas Instruments' TXN.O and Xilinx Inc's XLNX.O earnings unveiled after Wednesday's U.S. market close, continued to soar as the results were welcomed on Wall Street. who were already excited about the U.S. chip sector's earnings the day before got even more reassured after they saw how their stocks moved," said Shogo Maekawa, a global market strategist at JPMorgan (NYSE: JPM ) Asset Management.

Maekawa added that a recovery in the global cyclical chip sector is taken as a silver-lining amid concern about a global economic slowdown.

He said that investors will be focus on events next week, especially U.S.-China trade talks

U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said on Thursday that the United States and China are "miles and miles" from resolving trade issues but there is a fair chance the two countries will get a deal. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin was somewhat more upbeat, saying the United States and China were "making a lot of progress" in talks, but he did not elaborate.

JP Morgan's Maekawa said "The market is cautious especially after comments from Ross."

Silicon products maker Sumco Corp 3436.T jumped 12 percent, Tokyo Electron 8035.T rallied 4.7 percent, Advantest Corp 6857.T surged 4.9 percent, while Shin-Estu Chemical 4063.T soared 4.5 percent.

Traders said that the gains in the chip sector lifted sentiment in shares of Apple AAPL.O suppliers as well, with Murata Manufacturing 6981.T surging 6.1 percent and Alps Alpine 6770.T adding 5.2 percent.

The Philadelphia SE Semiconductor Index .SOX , under pressure in recent months after Apple warned of waning smartphone demand, saw its biggest one-day percentage gain since Dec. 26, advancing 5.7 percent.

Nissan Motor Co 7201.T rose 2.5 percent after Renault RENA.PA appointed Michelin (PA: MICP ) boss Jean-Dominique Senard as its new chairman, following the resignation of Carlos Ghosn in the wake of his arrest, which has rocked the French carmaker and its alliance with Nissan. broader Topix .TOPX gained 0.9 percent to 1,566.10. (Editing by Richard Borsuk)