TOKYO, April 13 (Reuters) - Tokyo shares nudged higher on Wednesday, recouping some of the previous day's losses, but the futures-led upward move on thin volume suggested the post-quake rebound has run out of steam and mid-term the market may be heading for a second bottom.
The most actively traded share since the quake, Tokyo Electric , surged on a report that its liabilities stemming from the nuclear crisis may be capped but other utilities slid as they may have to help foot the bill.
Strong gains in Honda , Nissan and other automakers after Nomura Securities said it expected a sharp post-quake recovery in the second-half of the business year offset declines in oil-related stocks on a sharp drop in crude prices.
Japan's benchmark Nikkei average closed up 0.9 percent, or 85.92 Points, at 9,641.18, while the broader Topix gained 0.73 percent to 844.59. (Reporting by Antoni Slodkowski; Editing by Joseph Radford)