Nikkei drifts near 10-month high, exporters heavy

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei stock average drifted near a 10-month high on Tuesday, with gains centering on defensive shares while Honda Motor Co (7267.T) and other exporters slipped as the yen advanced against the dollar.

A strong earthquake shook Tokyo and surrounding areas on Tuesday morning, but factories in the area reported no damage. Construction shares advanced though, with Obayashi Corp (1802.T) climbing nearly 5 percent.

The benchmark Nikkei .N225 gained 20.67 points, or 0.2 percent, to 10,544.93, heading up toward a 10-month high of 10,585.37 hit on Monday, while the broader Topix rose 0.1 percent to 970.39.

(Reporting by Elaine Lies)