Nikkei ends at 8-week high as Sony, financials gain

(Updates to close)

TOKYO, Oct 2 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei average rose 1.2 percent on Tuesday, ending above 17,000 for the first time in nearly eight weeks as Sony Corp gained after saying its financial unit had set its IPO price at the top end of its tentative range.

Financial shares rallied as investors bet that the worst of the U.S. subprime mortgage-related crisis was over, while exporters such as Canon Inc gained due to a rally on Wall Street the previous session ...