Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
EWJ vs VPL: Differences, Returns & Fees
Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, EWJ returned +18.1% to VPL's +24.8%; 42% of their weight is in the same names.
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Net assets: $23.9bn on Oct 28, 2026 for iShares MSCI Japan ETF, and $9.0bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard FTSE Pacific ETF.
Pair scorecard
VPL costs 0.42 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 6.7 points; EWJ is 2.6 times larger.
| Measure | EWJ | VPL |
|---|---|---|
| Return | ||
| Total return, 1 year | +18.1% | +24.8% |
| Drawdown | ||
| Below its high | 4.4%, high on Oct 6, 2026 | 7.2%, high on Jun 22, 2026 |
| Benchmark | ||
| What it tracks | MSCI Japan Index | FTSE Developed Asia Pacific All Cap Index |
| Cost and size | ||
| Expense ratio | 0.49% | 0.07% |
| Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026 | $23.5bn | $9.0bn |
| Holdings | ||
| Holdings in common | 42% | |
| Top ten holdings, share of the fund | 29.5% | 24.8% |
Holdings in common uses holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026. Method
Risk and return
Mar 18, 2005 to Oct 23, 2026 · 1,127 weekly returnsVPL returned more: +284.0% to +204.9%. EWJ and VPL swung about the same: 18.4% and 18.2%. EWJ fell slightly less at its worst: −52.4% to −54.0%.
Full scorecard
9 measures, with how each is measured Open ↓
| Measure | EWJ | VPL | Edge | How it is measured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Return | ||||
| Total return | +204.9% | +284.0% | VPL | Price change plus distributions, reinvested. |
| Annualized | +5.3% | +6.4% | VPL | Total return as a yearly rate. |
| Price return | +115.2% | +114.2% | Tie | Price change alone, distributions left out. |
| Risk | ||||
| Volatility | 18.4% | 18.2% | Tie | Spread of weekly returns, annualized. Lower is steadier. |
| Downside deviation | 13.2% | 13.2% | Tie | Like volatility, counting only weeks below the Treasury bill rate. |
| Max drawdown | −52.4% | −54.0% | EWJ (slight) | Deepest fall from a high to the low after it. |
| Risk-adjusted | ||||
| Sharpe | 0.27 | 0.33 | VPL | Return above Treasury bills per unit of volatility. |
| Sortino | 0.38 | 0.46 | VPL | Return above Treasury bills per unit of downside deviation. |
| Calmar | 0.10 | 0.12 | VPL | Annualized return divided by the max drawdown. |
Computed by ETFIQ from Tiingo daily prices and ETFIQ's distribution records, 1,127 weekly returns. Cash rate: the 13-week Treasury bill.
What they share
By the books each fund has filed, EWJ and VPL hold 42% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.
half
42% in common
Only in one fund ↓
Side by side
EWJ and VPL on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.
EWJ and VPL do different jobs. What does each one do in a portfolio?
- What each follows. EWJ follows MSCI Japan Index and VPL follows FTSE Developed Asia Pacific All Cap Index.
- Holdings in common. 42% of the weight is in the same securities (holdings dated Oct 27, 2026 and Sep 30, 2026).
- One-year total return. Over 1 year to Oct 28, 2026 EWJ returned +18.1% and VPL +24.8% with distributions reinvested, a gap of 6.7 points.
Data as of Oct 28, 2026.
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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.
VPL
VPL tracks an index of Pacific Stock. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned +24.8% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.07% a year. By its holdings published by its issuer as of Sep 30, 2026, 0% of the fund by weight is stocks the S&P 500 also holds, across 2,343 positions, with the top ten at 24.8%. It sat 7.2% below its high of Jun 22, 2026 on Oct 28, 2026.
Questions people ask
- Which returned more over the last year, EWJ or VPL?
- In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EWJ returned +18.1% and VPL +24.8%.
- Which is cheaper, EWJ or VPL?
- VPL is cheaper, by 0.42 percentage points a year. That is about $42 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.
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ETFIQ, EWJ against VPL, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ewj-vs-vpl
ETFIQ. (Oct 28, 2026). EWJ against VPL. Retrieved from https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ewj-vs-vpl
[EWJ against VPL (ETFIQ, Oct 28, 2026)](https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ewj-vs-vpl)
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