ETF Versus

EWJ vs EWT

iShares MSCI Japan ETF vs iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF

Last updated: 2026-04-10

EWJ iShares

iShares MSCI Japan ETF (EWJ) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to japan equity securities. It charges an above-average expense ratio of 0.49%. The fund offers a high dividend yield of 4.14%. Launched in 1996, the fund has a 30-year track record.

AUM: $19.7B ER: 0.49% Yield: 4.14% Since: Mar 12, 1996
EWT iShares

iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF (EWT) is an exchange-traded fund issued by iShares that provides exposure to taiwan equity securities. It charges a high expense ratio of 0.59%. The fund offers an attractive dividend yield of 3.66%. Launched in 2000, the fund has a 26-year track record.

AUM: $7.6B ER: 0.59% Yield: 3.66% Since: Jun 20, 2000

Quick Verdict

EWJ is significantly cheaper at 0.49% vs 0.59% expense ratio, saving you approximately $191 per $10,000 invested over 10 years. Over the past year, EWT has significantly outperformed with a 77.5% return vs 37.0%.

Key Metrics

Metric EWJ EWT
Expense Ratio 0.49% 0.59%
Dividend Yield 4.1% 3.7%
Fund Family iShares iShares
Category Japan Equity Taiwan Equity

Performance Chart

Indexed to 100 at start (5-year comparison)

65 79 93 107 121 135 2021-04 2022-07 2023-10 2025-01 2026-04
EWJ +27.1%
EWT +26.4%

Performance Comparison

Period EWJ EWT Difference
1 Month +2.66% +6.92% -4.26%
3 Months +3.19% +15.41% -12.22%
6 Months +11.00% +19.09% -8.09%
YTD +8.21% +18.70% -10.49%
1 Year +37.04% +77.48% -40.44%
3 Years +52.06% +70.06% -18.00%
5 Years +27.11% +26.35% +0.76%

Fee Impact Over Time

Estimated fee cost difference assuming 8% annual returns

Investment Period EWJ Fees EWT Fees You Save
$10,000 10 years $960 $1,151 $191
$10,000 20 years $4,052 $4,837 $785
$10,000 30 years $12,832 $15,249 $2,417
$50,000 10 years $4,799 $5,754 $955
$50,000 30 years $64,162 $76,247 $12,085
$100,000 30 years $128,324 $152,494 $24,171

Risk Metrics

Based on 5 years of daily returns

Metric EWJ EWT
Annualized Volatility 18.4% 24.3%
Max Drawdown -34.6% -41.3%
Sharpe Ratio 0.11 0.13

Dividend Comparison

Metric EWJ EWT
Annual Dividend (per share) $3.65 $2.82
Dividend Yield 4.15% 3.66%
Distribution Frequency Semi-Annual or Annual Semi-Annual or Annual

Top Holdings

0 of top 10 holdings overlap (0% overlap in top holdings)

EWJ Top Holdings

NameWeight
Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc.!tyo/83064.13%
Toyota Motor Corporation!tyo/72034.07%
Hitachi, Ltd.!tyo/65012.86%
Sony Group Corporation!tyo/67582.65%
Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc.!tyo/83162.62%
Advantest Corporation!tyo/68572.45%
Tokyo Electron Limited!tyo/80352.41%
Mitsubishi Corporation!tyo/80582.23%
Mizuho Financial Group, Inc.!tyo/84112.20%
Mitsui & Co., Ltd.!tyo/80312.00%

EWT Top Holdings

NameWeight
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited!tpe/233021.73%
Delta Electronics, Inc.!tpe/23085.22%
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.!tpe/23173.85%
MediaTek Inc.!tpe/24543.75%
ASE Technology Holding Co., Ltd.!tpe/37112.45%
Elite Material Co., Ltd.!tpe/23832.29%
Unimicron Technology Corp.!tpe/30372.18%
Accton Technology Corporation!tpe/23452.10%
CTBC Financial Holding Co., Ltd.!tpe/28911.82%
Asia Vital Components Co., Ltd.!tpe/30171.77%

Which One Should You Choose?

Choose EWJ if...

you want the lowest fees and plan to buy and hold long-term. Over decades, the expense ratio difference compounds significantly.

Choose EWT if...

recent performance momentum matters to your strategy. Note that past performance doesn't guarantee future results.

Choose EWJ if...

you prioritize dividend income and want higher regular distributions from your portfolio.

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