TOKYO, Oct 18 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei average ended almost flat on Monday, pressured by the yen, which stayed near a 15-year high against the dollar, and as investors turned cautious ahead of U.S. banks' earnings and the reporting season at home.
The market also struggled to find clear direction due to a dearth of immediate market-moving incentives, with investors looking to take cues from the Group of 20 nations meeting later in the week and the Federal Reserve's monetary policy early next month.
The benchmark Nikkei inched up 0.5 percent to 830.52. (Reporting by Aiko Hayashi; Editing by Chris Gallagher)