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Launched · SEC filings

iShares MSCI Japan ETF

EWJNYSE ArcaiSharesA

$92.84−0.07 (−0.08%)

At close: Nov 2, 2026, 4:00 PM ET

A71/ 100

Rank 6 of 18 in Japan

A71/100Rank 6 of 18inJapan
Intraday session: down, 79 prints from 92.91 to 92.84. Range 92.78 to 93.80. Use the arrow keys to read each point.93.2093.4093.6093.8010 AM12 PM2 PM4 PM
Expense ratio
0.49%
Fund size
$23.4B
1Y total return
+16.2%
Yield · Last 12 months
3.83%
Holdings
171
Avg volume · 30D
4.1M sh
52W range
low $79.47high $99.98
Launched
Filings
SEC EDGAR

The ETF.net EWJ Grade

A

Score 71 out of 100

Category
Japan⁠
Rank
6 of 18
Six-pillar profile for EWJ. Scores out of 100: Cost 56, Risk 41, Mission 100, Tradability 95, Holdings 52, Durability 90. Strongest: Mission (100). Weakest: Risk (41). Leans toward Mission and Tradability.

Score 71 of 100 falls in the A band. A is 70 or higher, B 55 to under 70, C 40 to under 55, D 25 to under 40, F under 25.

  • Cost

    The fund’s net expense ratio, ranked against its category.
    B56 out of 100
    Rank 8 of 18

  • Mission

    Whether the fund did what it promised, tested against its stated mandate.
    A100 out of 100
    Rank 1 of 14

  • Risk

    How the fund held up when markets fell: downside volatility, drawdowns and tail loss.
    C41 out of 100
    Rank 13 of 18

  • Tradability

    How easy the fund is to trade: daily volume, and how far its price strays from net asset value.
    A95 out of 100
    Rank 1 of 18

  • Holdings

    How concentrated the fund is, and how complete and current its disclosed holdings are.
    C52 out of 100
    Rank 11 of 18

  • Durability

    Whether the fund is likely to stay open, judged by its age, its assets and its issuer’s assets.
    A90 out of 100
    Rank 1 of 18

Our read on EWJ

ETF.net Research

In short

AThe 1996 original. iShares' Japan fund was the default way to own Tokyo's biggest names before most of its rivals existed, and it still trades like it: roughly 170 large and mid-cap stocks, yen exposure unhedged.

Stated mandate

The fund seeks to track an index of Japanese equities, providing targeted exposure to companies in Japan.

Why people hold it

  • Launched in 1996 and still one of the most heavily traded funds in the Japan category, which generally means tight spreads and room to trade size.
  • Tracks the MSCI Japan Index closely, holding roughly 170 large and mid-cap Japanese companies.
  • A multi-billion-dollar iShares fund: the kind of scale and sponsorship that keeps a product well supported.

Worth knowing

  • Cheaper Japan beta exists. FLJP charges 0.09% and BBJP 0.19% against this fund's 0.49%. The extra fee buys the liquidity and the long record.
  • No currency hedge here, so yen moves against the dollar flow straight into the return, up or down. Hedged Japan funds such as FLJH take the other approach.
  • One country, roughly 170 names, and cash comes back only once or twice a year rather than quarterly.

EWJ Performance

Launched Mar 12, 1996

Shows how $10,000 changes over the selected period, with cash distributions reinvested at the closing price on each ex-dividend date.

EWJ$11,617
SPY tracks large US stocks. It provides market context, rather than representing this fund’s strategy, asset class or investment benchmark.$11,199
Oct 31, 2025 to Oct 30, 2026. EWJ $11,617. SPY $11,199. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$10,000$11,000$12,000Oct 2025Apr 2026Oct 2026

Oct 31, 2025 – Oct 30, 2026

Returns run to the Oct 30, 2026 close, with cash distributions reinvested. Each period starts on the same date that many months or years earlier. Periods over one year show the average yearly return.

Trailing total return for EWJ. Periods over one year show the average yearly return.
PeriodEWJ
Year to date+15.7%
1 month−4.7%
3 months+0.6%
1 year+16.2%
3 yearsper year+19.8%
5 yearsper year+8.9%
10 yearsper year+8.4%

With distributions reinvested.

Calendar-year total return with cash distributions hypothetically reinvested at the ex-dividend date’s closing price. The current year shows year to date.

Annual total returns for EWJ
YearReturn barEWJ
2026 YTD+15.7%
2025+25.9%
2024+7.0%
2023+20.3%
2022−17.7%
2021+1.2%
2020+15.4%

EWJ in the news

EWJ Dividends

Adds up every distribution paid per share over the last 12 months, divided by the last completed close. Distributions are counted by ex-date. Data through Oct 30, 2026.
3.83%Last 12 months
Payout per share
$3.56Last 12 months
Last payment
$0.50 per share
Paid on
Shares bought on or after this date do not qualify for this distribution.
Frequency
Annual

Distribution history

2017–2026

One bar per payment. 19 payments from 2017 to 2026 YTD. Jun 20, 2017 $0.35; Dec 19, 2017 $0.40; Jun 19, 2018 $0.46; Dec 18, 2018 $0.41; Jun 17, 2019 $0.49; Dec 16, 2019 $0.72; Jun 15, 2020 $0.44; Dec 14, 2020 $0.26; Jun 10, 2021 $0.50; Dec 13, 2021 $0.89; Jun 9, 2022 $0.55; Dec 13, 2022 $0.12; Jun 7, 2023 $0.43; Dec 20, 2023 $0.87; Jun 11, 2024 $0.51; Dec 17, 2024 $1.06; Jun 16, 2025 $0.59; Dec 16, 2025 $3.06; Jun 15, 2026 $0.50. Use the arrow keys to read each point.2017201820192020202120222023202420252026YTD
Ex-datePay dateAmount per share
Jun 15, 2026Jun 18, 2026$0.50
Dec 16, 2025Dec 19, 2025$3.06
Jun 16, 2025Jun 20, 2025$0.59
Dec 17, 2024Dec 20, 2024$1.06
Jun 11, 2024Jun 17, 2024$0.51
Dec 20, 2023Dec 27, 2023$0.87
Jun 7, 2023Jun 13, 2023$0.43
Dec 13, 2022Dec 19, 2022$0.12
Jun 9, 2022Jun 15, 2022$0.55
Dec 13, 2021Dec 17, 2021$0.89
Jun 10, 2021Jun 16, 2021$0.50
Dec 14, 2020Dec 18, 2020$0.26

See all 47 payments⁠

$10,000 in EWJ 10 years ago paid $2,665 in dividends.⁠

EWJ Risk

Risk pillarC41 out of 100Rank 13 of 18 in Japan
How much the fund’s monthly returns vary, scaled to a year.
12.6%
Annualised · 36 months to Oct 2026
How it’s calculated: standard deviation

The sample standard deviation of monthly total returns, multiplied by the square root of 12.

Uses up to 36 complete months, with at least 12 required. Total returns include reinvested distributions.

Return above 3-month US Treasury bills per unit of volatility.
1.15
vs 3-month T-bills · to Oct 2026
How it’s calculated: Sharpe ratio

Subtract each month’s Treasury-bill return from the fund’s monthly total return.

Divide the average of those excess returns by their sample standard deviation, then multiply by the square root of 12.

Uses up to 36 complete months, with at least 12 required. Each month uses the Treasury yield quoted at the end of the previous month.

The largest fall from a peak to the low that followed.
−29.6%
Trough Oct 2022
How it’s calculated: maximum drawdown

The largest percentage decline from an earlier peak, using total returns with reinvested distributions.

Uses up to five years through the last close, with at least 12 months required.

How strongly the fund’s returns move with its asset-class index.
0.83
vs its asset-class index
How it’s calculated: beta

The beta figure is supplied by FMP. The comparison index depends on the fund’s broad asset class.

FMP measures it over up to five years of monthly returns.

EWJ Cost

Compare EWJ and FLJP

Overpaying vs FLJP, tied cheapest in Japan

$7,894

On $10,000 over 30 years. 7% growth a year before fees, expense ratio only.

  • EWJ 0.49%

    $9,792

  • FLJP 0.09% Tied cheapest

    $1,898

$10,000
30 years

Cost over time

  • EWJ 0.49%
  • FLJP 0.09%
  • Overpaying
One line per fund, from year 0 to year 30. Use the arrow keys to read each point.$0$2K$4K$6K$8K$10K051015202530EWJ $9,792FLJP $1,898

Year by year

YearEWJFLJPOverpaying
10$883$165$718
20$3,394$646$2,748
30$9,792$1,898$7,894

Other funds in Japan

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