Data as of Sep 12, 2026. Both funds on the fields they both publish, from the same sources.
EFA vs EWJ: how they differ
EFA and EWJ hold 23% of their weight in the same names, and EWJ returned more over the year.
iShares MSCI EAFE ETF and iShares MSCI Japan ETF.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, EFA and EWJ hold 23% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Holding | EFA | EWJ |
|---|---|---|
| Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. | 0.94% | 4.08% |
| TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION | 0.84% | 3.45% |
| Hitachi, Ltd. | 0.68% | 2.86% |
| ADVANTEST CORPORATION | 0.66% | 2.41% |
| Tokyo Electron Limited | 0.61% | 2.90% |
| Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. | 0.60% | 2.58% |
| SoftBank Group Corp. | 0.59% | 3.37% |
| Sony Group Corporation | 0.57% | 2.56% |
| Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. | 0.50% | 2.16% |
| Mitsubishi Corporation | 0.48% | 1.96% |
| Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. | 0.44% | 1.46% |
| MITSUI & CO., LTD. | 0.43% | 1.58% |
| Only in EFA | Only in EWJ |
|---|---|
| ASML Holding N.V. 2.60% | |
| HSBC HOLDINGS PLC 1.47% | |
| ASTRAZENECA PLC 1.36% | |
| Novartis AG 1.30% | |
| Nestle S.A. 1.21% | |
| SHELL PLC 1.20% | |
| Siemens Aktiengesellschaft 1.05% | |
| COMMONWEALTH BANK OF AUSTRALIA 0.98% |
Weight overlap is an ETFIQ calculation: for every security both funds hold, the smaller of the two weights, summed. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated Apr 30, 2026 and May 31, 2026.
| EFA iShares MSCI EAFE ETF | EWJ iShares MSCI Japan ETF | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it sits | Core index fund | Core index fund |
| Issuer | iShares | iShares |
| What it is | Developed markets ex US | MSCI Japan |
| Total return, 1 year | +18.2% | +26.5% |
| S&P 500 over the same days | +17.5% | +17.5% |
| Gap to the S&P 500 | +0.7 pts | +9.0 pts |
| Expense ratio | 0.32% | 0.49% |
| Already in the S&P 500 | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Holdings | 705 | 179 |
EFA in plain words
EFA is an index equity fund tracking the Developed markets ex US. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +18.2% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.32% a year. By its holdings filed for Apr 30, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 705 positions, with the top ten at 13.4%.
EWJ in plain words
EWJ is an index equity fund tracking the MSCI Japan. Over the year to Sep 11, 2026 it returned +26.5% with distributions reinvested, against +17.5% for the S&P 500 and +23.0% for the Nasdaq-100. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.49% a year. By its holdings filed for May 31, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 179 positions, with the top ten at 28.4%.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, EFA or EWJ?
- In the year to Sep 12, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EFA returned +18.2% and EWJ returned +26.5%, so EWJ returned more. One year is one year; the longer windows are in the table.
- Which is cheaper, EFA or EWJ?
- EFA charges 0.32% a year and EWJ charges 0.49%, so EFA is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
- How much do EFA and EWJ overlap with the S&P 500?
- By their latest filed holdings, 0% of EFA and 0% of EWJ by weight is stocks the S&P 500 already holds. Between the two funds, 23% of their books are the same securities at the same weight.
Other comparisons
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Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, EFA against EWJ, data as of Sep 12, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/EFA-EWJ Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.
A comparison is not a recommendation. Standards and sources