What Is EWJ? iShares MSCI Japan ETF
Last updated October 2026
Short answer
EWJ is iShares MSCI Japan ETF, an ETF that tracks the MSCI Japan Index at a 0.49% expense ratio. EWJ is the most established way to hold Japanese equities from a US account, trading since 1996. Its 3.66% yield surprises people who still associate Japan with decades of stagnation and minimal payouts, and it reflects a genuine change: corporate governance reform has pushed Japanese companies toward returning far more cash to shareholders. As of October 2026 the portfolio is led by Mitsubishi UFJ, Toyota, Tokyo Electron, Sumitomo Mitsui and Advantest. As of 2026-10-16 the share price was up 17.7% year to date and 17.4% over one year.
EWJ is issued by iShares and tracks the MSCI Japan Index. It charges a 0.49% expense ratio, holds approximately $23.5B in assets under management, yields about 3.66%, and launched in 1996.
What the portfolio tells you about the market
Industrials at 23%, technology at 22% and financials at 19% as of October 2026. Mitsubishi UFJ at 4.7% and Sumitomo Mitsui at 3.0% are banks; Toyota at 3.3% is the world's largest carmaker; Tokyo Electron at 3.1% and Advantest at 3.0% are semiconductor equipment makers. Since August the banks have moved up the table and Kioxia has slipped from third to tenth.
That mix is quite different from a US index and from other developed markets. Japan is unusually weighted toward precision manufacturing, semiconductor capital equipment and heavy industry, which is why it behaves differently in the cycle than a European or US allocation.
The mix has done well in 2026. As of 2026-10-16 EWJ's share price was up 17.7% year to date and 17.4% over one year, though down 1.3% over the past month.
Currency matters more here than almost anywhere
The yen has moved very substantially against the dollar in recent years, and EWJ is unhedged. A weakening yen reduces dollar returns even when Japanese shares rise in local terms, and this has repeatedly been the dominant factor in what US investors experienced.
2026 brought that into focus again. Japan and the US moved together to support the yen in August, and in September Japan reportedly spent about $80B of foreign reserves defending it. For an unhedged holder, a stronger yen adds to dollar returns and a weaker one subtracts.
Hedged alternatives exist for precisely this reason. Whether to use one is a real decision rather than a technicality, and it is more consequential for Japan than for most developed markets.
EWJ holdings: top 10
Approximate weights as of October 2026. Each ticker links to its individual stock guide in Walnut.
| Rank | Ticker | Company | % of EWJ | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8306.T | Mitsubishi UFJ Financial | 4.7% | |
| 2 | 7203.T | Toyota Motor | 3.3% | |
| 3 | 8035.T | Tokyo Electron | 3.1% | |
| 4 | 8316.T | Sumitomo Mitsui Financial | 3.0% | |
| 5 | 6857.T | Advantest | 3.0% | |
| 6 | 6501.T | Hitachi | 2.9% | |
| 7 | 9984.T | SoftBank Group | 2.8% | |
| 8 | 6098.T | Recruit Holdings | 2.6% | |
| 9 | 6758.T | Sony Group | 2.6% | |
| 10 | 285A.T | Kioxia Holdings | 2.5% |
How do I invest in EWJ?
There are three common ways to get EWJ exposure. Buy shares (or fractional shares) of EWJ directly at any major broker that lists it. Hold it as a core position and layer more concentrated ideas on top. Or build it into a thematic portfolio in Walnut, so EWJ sits alongside other holdings that express the same thesis, with target weights you can rebalance toward. EWJ trades like a stock during market hours, so you buy it the same way you would any listed share.
New to buying funds? See how to buy an ETF, step by step.
Is EWJ a good buy?
Whether EWJ is a good buy depends less on any single call and more on your time horizon and what you already hold: it tracks the MSCI Japan Index, so the real question is whether you want that exposure in your mix and at what weight. We walk through valuation, concentration, and what would have to be true for it to outperform from here in is EWJ a buy?
The bottom line on EWJ
EWJ gives you the MSCI Japan Index exposure in one ticker at a 0.49% expense ratio. Most investors use it as a core holding and layer more concentrated thematic portfolios on top.
More on EWJ
Whether EWJ is worth buying today depends more on your time horizon and what you already hold than on any single call. We walk through valuation, concentration, and what would have to be true for it to outperform from here in is EWJ a buy?
EWJ yields 3.66% as of October 2026, paid by passing through the dividends of its underlying holdings. For the payout schedule, history, and how the distributions are taxed, see EWJ dividend: yield and schedule.
For what analysts expect from the companies EWJ holds, its yield as a guide to income, and why no one publishes a price target for the fund itself, see the EWJ forecast.
New to funds like EWJ? Start with what an ETF is, then how to buy an ETF, or browse the full guide to ETF investing.
Wondering how EWJ fits the portfolio you already own? Walnut is an AI investing app that connects your brokerage read-only and answers questions like that about your actual holdings: overlap, concentration, and how each position tracks the S&P 500. Compare the best AI portfolio analyzers or see the best AI investing apps in 2026.
Investing in EWJ with AI
Connect the broker you already use and ask Walnut's AI how EWJ fits what you actually hold: what it overlaps with, what it leaves you exposed to, and how it has tracked the S&P 500. Read-only by default, and you approve anything before it reaches your broker.
FAQ
What is EWJ?
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EWJ is the iShares MSCI Japan ETF. It tracks the MSCI Japan Index, holding large and mid-cap Japanese companies. It charges 0.49%, holds about $23.5B as of October 2026, yields roughly 3.66%, and has traded since 1996.
Why does EWJ yield 3.66%?
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Japanese corporate governance reform has pushed companies toward returning far more cash to shareholders through dividends and buybacks than they historically did. Combined with a market weighted toward banks and industrials rather than technology, that produces a yield well above a US index fund.
What does EWJ hold?
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As of October 2026, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial at 4.7%, Toyota at 3.3%, Tokyo Electron at 3.1%, Sumitomo Mitsui at 3.0% and Advantest at 3.0%, with Hitachi, SoftBank Group, Recruit, Sony and Kioxia close behind. By sector: industrials 23%, technology 22% and financials 19%.
Is EWJ currency hedged?
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No, and it matters more for Japan than for most markets. The yen has moved very substantially against the dollar in recent years, and an unhedged fund passes that straight through. Japanese shares can rise in yen terms while a US investor sees a loss in dollars. In 2026 the Japanese authorities intervened to support the yen, a reminder that the currency can move sharply in either direction.
Should I use a hedged Japan fund instead?
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It is a genuine decision rather than a technicality. Hedged funds remove the currency effect at some cost and remove the benefit as well as the harm. Given how large yen moves have been, the choice has had a bigger impact on Japan returns than on most developed-market allocations.
Is Japan still a stagnant market?
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The characterisation is dated. Governance reform, higher shareholder returns and the end of deflationary policy have changed the picture materially. That said, demographics remain a genuine long-term headwind, so neither the old pessimism nor uncritical optimism is the right frame.
Is 0.49% expensive for EWJ?
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It is at the higher end for single-country developed exposure. Broad developed international funds charge 0.03-0.04% and include Japan as their largest or second-largest country weight. Paying 0.49% only makes sense if you specifically want a Japan overweight.
Do I need EWJ if I own a developed international fund?
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Probably not for baseline exposure, since Japan is typically the largest country weight in funds like IDEV or SPDW. EWJ makes sense as a deliberate overweight, not as the way to get Japanese exposure in the first place.
What is EWJ's expense ratio?
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EWJ has an expense ratio of 0.49% per year as of October 2026, charged by iShares and deducted from the fund's value rather than billed to you separately. On a $10,000 position that is roughly $49 a year. Fees compound over time, so on a long-term holding the expense ratio is one of the few return drivers you control. It is worth comparing against other funds that track the MSCI Japan Index before you choose.
How do I compare EWJ to similar ETFs?
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Put a few fields side by side: the expense ratio (fees compound over decades), the index or strategy it tracks, the top holdings and how much they overlap with what you already own, the dividend yield, and the AUM, liquidity, and bid-ask spread that affect trading costs. For index funds, tracking error (how closely it follows its index) and tax efficiency matter too. EWJ's figures are above; the full method is in Walnut's guide on how to compare ETFs.
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Walnut is informational, not investment advice. Holdings weights and fund statistics on this page are approximations stamped to October 2026; verify current figures against iShares's fund page or your broker before investing.