^N225 vs. EWJ

Last updated Apr 2, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Nikkei 225 (^N225) and iShares MSCI Japan ETF (EWJ).

EWJ is a passively managed fund by iShares that tracks the performance of the MSCI Japan Index. It was launched on Mar 12, 1996.

Performance

^N225 vs. EWJ - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a ¥10,000 investment in Nikkei 225 (^N225) and iShares MSCI Japan ETF (EWJ). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

^N225 vs. EWJ - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
^N225 Nikkei 225	7.65%	26.18%	19.22%	28.24%	-9.37%	4.91%	16.01%	18.20%	-12.08%	19.10%
EWJ iShares MSCI Japan ETF	8.58%	25.47%	19.43%	29.36%	-6.28%	12.75%	9.69%	18.18%	-16.36%	19.67%

Different Trading Currencies

^N225 is traded in JPY, while EWJ is traded in USD. To make them comparable, the EWJ values have been converted to JPY using the latest available exchange rates.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ^N225 achieves a 7.65% return, which is significantly lower than EWJ's 8.58% return. Both investments have delivered pretty close results over the past 10 years, with ^N225 having a 12.89% annualized return and EWJ not far ahead at 12.97%.

^N225

• 1D: 6.13%
• 1M: -6.66%
• YTD: 7.65%
• 6M: 21.64%
• 1Y: 52.12%
• 3Y*: 24.34%
• 5Y*: 12.66%
• 10Y*: 12.89%

EWJ

• 1D: 2.61%
• 1M: -3.11%
• YTD: 8.58%
• 6M: 20.96%
• 1Y: 40.96%
• 3Y*: 24.47%
• 5Y*: 15.21%
• 10Y*: 12.97%

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

Return for Risk

^N225 vs. EWJ — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

^N225

^N225 Risk / Return Rank: 92
^N225 Sharpe Ratio Rank: 94
^N225 Sortino Ratio Rank: 97
^N225 Omega Ratio Rank: 94
^N225 Calmar Ratio Rank: 87
^N225 Martin Ratio Rank: 87

EWJ

EWJ Risk / Return Rank: 78
EWJ Sharpe Ratio Rank: 78
EWJ Sortino Ratio Rank: 80
EWJ Omega Ratio Rank: 75
EWJ Calmar Ratio Rank: 81
EWJ Martin Ratio Rank: 77

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

^N225 vs. EWJ - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Nikkei 225 (^N225) and iShares MSCI Japan ETF (EWJ). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

	^N225	EWJ	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.98	1.76	+0.22
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	2.71	2.43	+0.29
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.37	1.35	+0.02
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	2.43	3.43	-0.99
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	9.56	12.61	-3.05
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

^N225 vs. EWJ - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ^N225 Sharpe Ratio is 1.98, which is comparable to the EWJ Sharpe Ratio of 1.76. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ^N225 and EWJ, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	^N225	EWJ	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.98	1.76	+0.22
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.59	0.81	-0.21
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.64	0.66	-0.02
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.27	0.22	+0.05

Correlation

The correlation between ^N225 and EWJ is 0.38, which is considered to be low. This implies their price changes are not closely related. A low correlation is generally favorable for portfolio diversification, as it helps to reduce overall risk by spreading it across multiple assets with different performance patterns.

Drawdowns

^N225 vs. EWJ - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ^N225 drawdown since its inception was -81.87%, which is greater than EWJ's maximum drawdown of -61.55%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ^N225 and EWJ.

Drawdown Indicators

	^N225	EWJ	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-81.87%	-60.93%	-20.94%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-13.23%	-13.59%	+0.36%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-26.26%	-33.14%	+6.88%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-31.80%	-33.14%	+1.34%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-7.92%	-7.97%	+0.05%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-34.31%	-21.84%	-12.47%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.61%	3.68%	+0.93%

Volatility

^N225 vs. EWJ - Volatility Comparison

Nikkei 225 (^N225) has a higher volatility of 12.40% compared to iShares MSCI Japan ETF (EWJ) at 8.00%. This indicates that ^N225's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than EWJ based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	^N225	EWJ	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	12.40%	8.00%	+4.40%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	19.79%	15.11%	+4.68%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	27.07%	23.45%	+3.62%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	22.00%	18.88%	+3.12%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	20.77%	19.58%	+1.19%