Nikkei rises 1.5 pct as Fed's taper signals confidence in US economy

* Nikkei may top 16,000 and end that level at year end - analyst * Fed taper eases market uncertainty * JPMorgan and others sell futures to lock in profits from Wed - traders By Ayai Tomisawa TOKYO, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Japan's Nikkei share average jumped 1.5 percent on Thursday morning to within striking distance of its year high, as global equity markets took the glass half-full view after the U.S. Federal Reserve announced it would start to unwind its historic stimulus. Tok