* Nikkei down, ex-dividend effect dominates -analysts
* Dlr/yen rise essential for Nikkei to reach 10,000 -analyst
* Sources: Takefuji to file for bankruptcy with $5.2 bln debt
By Elaine Lies
TOKYO, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei average fell 0.8 percent on Tuesday, dropping as the deadline passed for investors to receive dividends on Tokyo stocks for the financial first half and as the yen clung close to its highest in almost two weeks.
But the market remained nervous about possible Japanese intervention to stem the yen's strength and stock losses were expected to be limited after the Nikkei business daily said the Bank of Japan will discuss further moves to ease monetary policy at its meeting next week.
"The market consensus is now that there won't be endless yen strengthening, that if the dollar falls below 84 yen authorities are likely to intervene," said Kenichi Hirano, operating officer at Tachibana Securities.
"But the Nikkei isn't going to rebound to 10,000 without at least a 2-3 yen rise in the dollar -- and that's going to be tough to achieve."
The benchmark Nikkei shed 73.35 points to 9,529.79 but has gained roughly 8 percent this month, its best monthly performance since March, helped by intervention by Japanese authorities to weaken the yen two weeks ago.
There was speculation that Japanese authorities also intervened last Friday, but the dollar's inability to stay above 85 yen and the fact that no intervention was confirmed meant saw Nikkei fall back.
The dollar had edged down to 84.23 yen after falling as low as 84.11 yen on Monday, its weakest since the Sept. 15 intervention.
Despite this month's gains, the Nikkei's rise this quarter is only some 1.6 percent, and it continues to lag other major stock markets. The S&P 500 has gained more than 10 percent this quarter, while South Korean shares have risen some 9.3 percent.
The broader Topix shed 0.7 percent to 843.75 on Tuesday.
"The gap between the Nikkei and other stock markets is becoming a bit more obvious at this point," said Hiroichi Nishi, general manager at the equity division of Nikko Cordial Securities.
Much of the Nikkei's dip on Tuesday was believed to be due to an "ex-dividend effect", given that Monday was the last day for investors to buy many Japanese stocks and still get dividends on them for the April-September half year, analysts said.
But support for the benchmark was expected to stay solid near 9,450, the level of its 75-day moving average, and some market players said it was surprisingly strong given that New York shares dipped on Monday.
CONSUMER LENDERS SHAKY
Shares of Takefuji Corp were untraded and overwhelmed with sell orders for a second day after sources said the money lender plans to file for bankruptcy on Tuesday with $5.2 billion in debt.
Sell orders for the stock came to 116 yen, compared with its Friday close of 171 yen.
On Monday, the stock was initially suspended by the Tokyo Stock Exchange after Japanese media reported that Takefuji was headed for bankruptcy. Once trade resumed near the end of the session, the stock remained untraded due to a glut of sell orders.
Other consumer lenders gained after falling sharply on Tuesday, with Acom up 1.9 percent at 1,370 yen. Promise gained 1.5 percent to 699 yen.
A number of exporters slipped as well, hurt by a dip in New York shares, with Kyocera Corp down 2 percent at 8,020 yen and Sony Corp shedding 0.9 percent to 2,599 yen.
Taiyo Yuden lost 2.2 percent to 1,025 yen after the electronic parts maker strong in capacitors and optical disks slashed its six-month net income estimate to a 2.8 billion yen ($33.2 million) loss from the previously projected profit of 4.5 billion yen.
Taiyo Yuden said it would book an extraordinary loss due to restructuring in its optical media products business. (Editing by Michael Watson)