RTRS: FOREX-Dollar up versus yen as US housing starts jump
* Dollar up vs yen after US housing starts jump
* Yen weakens as risk sentiment improves tentatively
* Improvement in German sentiment index lifts euro
* BoJ to buy up to $10.2 bln subordinate loans from banks
(Adds comments, updates prices)
By Vivianne Rodrigues
NEW YORK, March 17 (Reuters) - The dollar rose against the Japanese yen on Tuesday as an unexpected surge in housing starts and firmer stocks helped improve investors' sentiment toward riskier investments.
The U.S. housing data followed stronger-than-expected results from Germany's ZEW survey of investor sentiment, which also lifted the euro against the pound and the yen.
Technology stocks and the U.S. S&P 500 index .SPX traded higher, with the improvement in risk sentiment weighing on the Japanese currency. Traders were also awaiting U.S. and Japanese central bank policy-setting meetings that end Wednesday.
