Updates with closing prices, adds analyst quote

SINGAPORE, Aug 2 (Reuters) -

• Japanese rubber futures gained on Friday, buoyed by concerns over supply-side obstacles, althoughthe contract for January delivery posted aweekly decline as a stronger yen and oil price movements weighed.

• The Osaka Exchange (OSE) rubber contract for January delivery JRUc6, 0#2JRU: closed up 4 yen, or 1.28%, at 315.3 yen ($2.11) per kg.

• Still, the contract lost 0.76% this week.

• The January rubber contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange (SHFE) SNRv1 rose 150 yuan, or 0.97%, to 15,680 yuan ($2,175.84) per metric ton.

• The clear uptrend in natural rubber futures today was largely driven by persistent supply disruptions, said Jom Jacob, chief analyst at Indian analysis firm What Next Rubber.

• Top producer Thailand's meteorological agency warned of heavy to very heavy rains that may cause flash floods from August 2-5.

• Raw material prices remain firm and have been rising gradually, said a Singapore-based trader.

• Additionally, the U.S. Federal Reserve's hint at a September rate cut has led to a weaker dollar and stronger local currencies, lending price support, the trader added.

• The safe-haven Japanese yen traded near multi-month highs against the dollar after an unexpected slump in U.S. manufacturing fuelled fears of a downturn, sending stocks and bond yields tumbling. USD/

• The yen JPY=EBS was steady at 149.49 per dollar, after strengthening as far as 148.51 overnight for the first time since mid-March.

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

• Oil prices rose on Friday but were set for a fourth successive weekly decline, as signs of disappointing global fuel demand growth outweighed fears of supply disruptions.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 front-month September rubber contract on the SingaporeExchange's SICOM platform STFc1 last traded at 167.0 U.S. cents per kg, up 1.5%.

($1 = 149.1400 yen)

($1 = 7.2064 Chinese yuan)

Reporting by Gabrielle Ng; Editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips and Janane Venkatraman

For morning and afternoon prices at Thailand's state-run central rubber market, click on RUB-BKK3.
For other physical rubber prices in Thailand, click on RUB-BKK1, RUB-BKK2.
For more details on Indonesian and Malaysian prices click on RURKJK and RUQG.
* Reuters Terminal users can see cash and futures rubber prices by double clicking on the codes in the brackets:

- Tokyo rubber futures -- 0#JRU:
- Shanghai rubber futures -- 0#SNR:
- Singapore rubber futures -- 0#SRS:0#SRU:0#STF:
- Thai rubber futures -- 0#ARU:0#ASR20:
- All rubber news RUB
- Tokyo rubber report RUB/T
- Shanghai rubber report RUB-CN
- Thailand rubber report RUB/TH
- Asian rubber report RUB/AS

For Related News and other topics, double click on one of these codes: SPEED GUIDES RUBBER1, SOFTS/NEWS1