* Risk aversion eases as Bernanke edges closer to 2nd term
* Speculation of more BoJ easing weighs down yen
* Euro gets some support on strong Greek bond auction (Updates prices, adds comments, changes byline)
By Steven C. Johnson
NEW YORK, Jan 25 (Reuters) - The dollar rose against the yen on Monday as Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke edged closer to winning support for a second term, which helped ease anxiety among investors.
Adding to pressure on the yen was speculation the Bank of Japan may announce new measures to loosen monetary policy, including buying government bonds to support the economy.
Strong demand at a sale of Greek five-year debt reduced concerns about fiscal problems in the euro zone, lending the euro some modest support against the dollar.
U.S. stocks rose, snapping a three-day losing streak sparked last week by fears the U.S. Senate may not confirm Bernanke for a second term and by White House proposals to limit some types of risk-taking at financial firms.
The dollar, which rallied late last week as nervous investors cut holdings of higher-yield, higher-risk currencies and assets, turned lower against most major currencies Monday.
"It was probably a relief for investors to have the weekend after three down days for stocks and high-risk currencies," said Andrew Wilkinson, senior analyst at Interactive Brokers Group in Greenwich, Connecticut. "The dollar put in a big move last week so naturally was going to struggle a bit today."
The dollar
"People are concerned about what they might do given the state of the economy and the new finance minister," said Meg Browne, currency strategist at Brown Brothers Harriman.
Against the dollar, the euro was up 0.1 percent on the day
at $1.4151 after touching a high
Sterling rose 0.8 percent to $1.6242
Greece has been trying to convince markets it can manage its ballooning debts. The syndicated sale of five-year bonds was seen as an important test of investor demand.
Analysts said the pair was also supported as it held above its 14-day moving average around $1.4130.
The Australian dollar
Analysts said investors would follow developments in U.S. President Barack Obama's crackdown on U.S. banks announced last week as the market gauges its potential impact on the dollar. (Additional reporting by Wanfeng Zhou; Editing by Kenneth Barry)