Value of stockholdings in Japan FY 2013-2022, by investor type
At the end of the fiscal year 2022, business corporations were the leading type of domestic investors in stocks in Japan, with stockholdings of around 145.7 trillion Japanese yen. Foreign investors' stockholdings amounted to 224.2 trillion yen.
Tokyo Stock Exchange
With a market capitalization of over 977 trillion Japanese yen and around 3.9 thousand constituents, the Tokyo Stock Exchange, operated by the Japan Exchange Group, is one of the largest stock exchanges in Asia and the world. In parallel to its reorganization in April 2022, a series of reforms were introduced to improve corporate governance of listed companies and make Japanese stocks more attractive to investors. Driven by global investors, the Nikkei 225 stock market index, Japan’s benchmark index, surpassed a 34 year-old record-high in February 2024.
Private investors
Stockholdings of individuals amounted to 131.26 trillion yen in fiscal 2022. Japanese households hold a comparably large share of assets in cash and deposits. According to estimates, around 11 percent of the population were stock owners and equity and investment trusts accounted for around 14 percent of the financial assets of households. To boost private investment in stocks and bonds, an amended version of Japan’s tax-exempt investment scheme, Nippon Individual Savings Account (NISA), was launched in January 2024.