Nikkei falls before U.S. jobs data, Hitachi gains

TOKYO, July 2 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei average fell 0.6 percent on Thursday, dented by a fall in blue-chip shares as caution set in ahead of U.S. jobs data, but Hitachi (6501.T: Quote, Profile, Research) jumped on a report it will boost production of lithium ion batteries for hybrid cars.

The benchmark Nikkei .N225 shed 63.78 points to 9,876.15. On Wednesday, it briefly touched its highest in about two weeks above 10,000, before ending the day slightly lower.

The broader Topix .TOPX slipped 0.5 percent to 924.02. (Reporting by Aiko Hayashi)