Investing.com - The U.S. dollar was almost unchanged against the yen on Friday, as lower than expected inflation data from Japan weighed on demand for the yen, while sentiment on the greenback remained fragile ahead of a U.S. consumer sentiment report later in the day.
USD/JPY hit 102.50 during late Asian trade, the session high; the pair subsequently consolidated at 102.33, inching up 0.01%.
The pair was likely to find support at 101.87, the low of April 16 and resistance at 102.73, the high of April 22.
Official data earlier showed that Tokyo's consumer price inflation, which excludes fresh food, rose 2.7% this month from a year earlier, below expectations for a 2.8% increase, after a 1% gain the previous month.
Japan's national core consumer price inflation rose 1.3% in April compared to the same time a year earlier, confounding expectations for a 1.4% gain, after a 1.3% increase in March.
Meanwhile, the greenback remained mildly supported after data on Thursday showed that U.S. durable goods orders rose more than expected in March, fuelling optimism over the strength of the country's economic recovery.
But the dollar's gains against the yen were capped by renewed tensions in Eastern Europe, after Ukrainian forces killed up to five pro-Moscow rebels on Thursday. In response, Russia launched army drills near the border, sparking fears its troops would invade.
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Washington was drawing closer to imposing more sanctions on Moscow.
The yen was steady against the euro, with EUR/JPY dipping 0.01% to 141.52.
Later in the day, the U.S. was to release revised data on consumer sentiment.