Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
EWJ vs VGSH: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, EWJ returned +18.1% to VGSH's +1.7%; 0% of their weight is in the same names.
askIQ about this page
askIQ about EWJ and VGSH
Net assets: $23.9bn on Oct 28, 2026 for iShares MSCI Japan ETF, and $35.1bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Short-Term Treasury ETF.
Pair scorecard
VGSH costs 0.46 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 16.4 points; VGSH is 1.5 times larger.
| Measure | EWJ | VGSH |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +18.1% | +1.7% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 4.4%, high on Oct 6, 2026 | |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | MSCI Japan Index | Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.49% | 0.03% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $23.5bn | $35.1bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 0% | |
| In the S&P 500, by weight | 0% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 29.5% | |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, EWJ and VGSH hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.
half
0% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
EWJ and VGSH on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
EWJ
EWJ tracks the MSCI Japan. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +18.1% with distributions reinvested, against +14.3% for its benchmark, the MSCI ACWI ex USA Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.49% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer for Oct 27, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 169 positions, with the top ten at 29.5%. It sat 4.4% below its high of Oct 6, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
VGSH
VGSH tracks an index of Short-Term Treasury. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +1.7% with distributions reinvested, against +1.8% for its benchmark, the Bloomberg U.S. Treasury 1-3 Year Index. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, EWJ or VGSH?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EWJ returned +18.1% and VGSH +1.7%.
- Which is cheaper, EWJ or VGSH?
- VGSH is cheaper, by 0.46 percentage points a year. That is about $46 on $10,000 held for a year. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Links are sources, not endorsements. A comparison is not a recommendation.
How this is computed
Overlap adds up the smaller of the two weights for each security both funds hold.
Cite this pageCitation, APA and Markdown
ETFIQ, EWJ against VGSH, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ewj-vs-vgsh
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). EWJ against VGSH. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ewj-vs-vgsh
[EWJ against VGSH (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ewj-vs-vgsh)
Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.