Updated with quote, closing prices

SINGAPORE, March 29 (Reuters) -

• Japanese rubber futures ended lower on Wednesday, extending losses for a second session, as slower-than-expected China recovery and dipping prices made traders reluctant to rejoin the market.

• Osaka Exchange's rubber contract for September delivery JRUc6, 0#2JRU: finished 1.7 yen, or 0.8%, lower at 208.3 yen ($1.58) per kg.

• The rubber contract on the Shanghai futures exchange for May delivery SNRv1 fell 50 yuan to finish at 11,865 yuan ($1,722.14) per tonne.

• Japan's benchmark Nikkei average .N225 closed up 1.33%. T.

• Traders had hoped for a stronger recovery in China but overall demand has been lacklustre, a Singapore-based trader said.

• "Given that prices have dropped to a low, traders are still very cautious when it comes to re-entering the market," he said.

• Early last week, the OSE benchmark contract plunged to 201.9 yen, its lowest since Sept. 2021.

• The Japanese yen JPY= weakened 0.89% to 132.04 per dollar, as of 0703 GMT, outweighing gains from the previous session. FRX/

• A weaker yen makes yen-denominated assets more affordable when purchased in other currencies.

• Likewise, crude prices rose for a third session on Wednesday as a halt to some exports from Iraqi Kurdistan raised concerns of tightening supplies, while fears of a global banking crisis eased. O/R

• Higher oil prices help the natural rubber market as manufacturers are incentivised to shift away from rival synthetic rubber derived from oil.

• Asian shares surged on Wednesday as easing concerns over the banking sector revived risk appetite, while Alibaba's 9988.HK plans to split into six units lifted Chinese tech stocks. MKTS/GLOB

• The front-month rubber contract on Singapore Exchange's SICOM platform for April delivery STFc1 remained flat, last trading at 133.4 U.S. cents per kg.

($1 = 131.8700 yen)

($1 = 6.8897 yuan)

Reporting by Carman Chew; Editing by Sonia Cheema

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 onRUB-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