SINGAPORE, July 26 (Reuters) -

• Japanese rubber futures rose on Friday, tracking gains in synthetic rubber and oil prices.

• The Osaka Exchange (OSE) rubber contract for January delivery JRUc6, 0#2JRU: was up 2.7 yen, or 0.86%, at 318 yen ($2.07) per kg as of 0150 GMT. The contract is down about 0.3% so far in the week.

• The rubber contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) for September delivery SNRv1 rose 105 yuan, or 0.73%, to 14,455 yuan ($1,997.37) per metric ton.

• The most active September butadiene rubber contract on the SHFE SHBRv1 was up 165 yuan, or 1.12%, at 14,885 yuan ($2,056.79) per metric ton.

• Oil prices were up slightly on stronger-than-expected U.S. economic data that raised investor expectations for increasing crude oil demand from the world's largest energy consumer, although concerns about soft economic conditions in major Asian economies capped gains. O/R

• Natural rubber often takes direction from oil prices as it competes for market share with synthetic rubber, which is made from crude oil.

• The yen was at 153.625 against the dollar, set for a 2.3% rise for the week, its biggest weekly gain since late April-early May, as traders unwound long-held bets against the frail currency ahead of crucial U.S. inflation data, and a global stocks rout drove investors towards safe assets, including the yen.

• A stronger Japanese currency makes yen-denominated assets less affordable to overseas buyers. FRX/

• Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will visit China from July 26-31, aiming to improve trade with China. One of the panels of the Italy-China Business Forum, to be held in Beijing on Sunday and Monday, will be dedicated to the automotive sector.

• The front-month August rubber contract on Singapore Exchange's SICOM platform STFc1 last traded at 163 U.S. cents per kg, up 1.6%.

($1 = 153.5800 yen)

($1 = 7.2370 yuan)

Reporting by Gabrielle Ng; Editing by Subhranshu Sahu

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