TOKYO, April 12 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei average snapped a seven-session losing streak on Thursday, boosted by gains in index futures as investors covered short positions after the benchmark breached the 9,500 mark, market participants said. A surge in Chinese stocks, led by banks ahead of the country's GDP data and bank lending figures this week, also helped to lift Japanese stocks. The Nikkei closed 0.7 percent higher at 9,524.79 to end its worst losing run since July 2009, while the broader Topix was up 0.5 percent at 809.88.