Which returned more over the last year, EWJ or VTEB?

In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EWJ returned +18.1% and VTEB −0.4%.

Which is cheaper, EWJ or VTEB?

VTEB 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.

Data as of Oct 28, 2026.

Across categories

EWJ vs VTEB: Differences, Returns & Fees

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Over the year to Oct 28, 2026, EWJ returned +18.1% to VTEB's −0.4%; 0% 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 $49.6bn on Sep 30, 2026 for Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond ETF.

EWJ on its own →VTEB on its own →

At a glance

+18.1%

EWJ total return, 1 year

−0.4%

VTEB total return, 1 year

0.49%

EWJ expense ratio

0.03%

VTEB expense ratio

Pair scorecard

VTEB costs 0.46 points a year less; their one-year returns differ by 18.5 points; VTEB is 2.1 times larger.

EWJ vs VTEB: Differences, Returns & Fees
Measure	EWJ	VTEB
Return
Measure	EWJ	VTEB
Total return, 1 year	+18.1%	−0.4%
Drawdown
Measure	EWJ	VTEB
Below its high	4.4%, high on Oct 6, 2026
Benchmark
Measure	EWJ	VTEB
What it tracks	MSCI Japan Index	S&P National AMT-Free Municipal Bond Index
Cost and size
Measure	EWJ	VTEB
Expense ratio	0.49%	0.03%
Net assets, as of Sep 30, 2026	$23.5bn	$49.6bn
Holdings
Measure	EWJ	VTEB
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 VTEB hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight. Holdings dated Sep 30, 2026 and Oct 27, 2026.

50%

0 half 100%

half

0% in common

Positions both hold · largest shared weight first EWJ VTEB

Only in one fund ↓

Only in EWJ

MITSUBISHI UFJ FINANCIAL GROUP 4.40%

TOYOTA MOTOR 3.59%

ADVANTEST 3.03%

HITACHI 3.03%

RECRUIT HOLDINGS LTD 3.03%

SONY GROUP 2.89%

SUMITOMO MITSUI FINANCIAL GROUP 2.83%

TOKYO ELECTRON 2.55%

Only in VTEB

Vanguard Municipal Low Duration Fund 0.69%

State of California 0.15%

State of California 0.14%

New York State Dormitory Authority 0.13%

State of Illinois 0.12%

Ohio State University 0.12%

City of New York NY 0.10%

State of Wisconsin 0.10%

Check overlap with more funds →

Side by side

EWJ iShares MSCI Japan ETF VTEB Vanguard Tax-Exempt Bond ETF

Where it sits Stock ETF Bond ETF

Issuer iShares Vanguard

What it is Tracks the MSCI Japan Tracks an index of Tax-Exempt Bond

Total return, 1 year +18.1% −0.4%

Its benchmark over the same days +14.3% (ACWX) not measured

Gap to its benchmark +3.8 pts vs ACWX not measured

Expense ratio 0.49% 0.03%

Holdings 169 11155

Net assets, EWJ as of Oct 28, 2026 and VTEB as of Sep 30, 2026 $23.9bn $49.6bn

EWJ and VTEB on the fields both publish, as of Oct 28, 2026. Source: ETFIQ.

Alert

About each fund

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.

VTEB

VTEB tracks an index of Tax-Exempt Bond. Over the year to Oct 28, 2026 it returned −0.4% with distributions reinvested. The prospectus expense ratio is 0.03% a year.

Questions people ask

Which returned more over the last year, EWJ or VTEB?: In the year to Oct 28, 2026, with distributions reinvested, EWJ returned +18.1% and VTEB −0.4%.
Which is cheaper, EWJ or VTEB?: VTEB 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.

Other comparisons

EWJ vs MUB EWJ vs HYMB EWJ vs IUSB EWJ vs VCSH EWT vs VTEB EWZ vs VTEB EZU vs VTEB VPL vs VTEB

Where to next

EWJ on its own →VTEB on its own →Hold both: look the portfolio through →Rankings →EWJ dividend history →EWJ holdings →VTEB dividend history →VTEB holdings →Standards and sources →

Sources and dates

EWJ filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

EWJ prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

iShares page for EWJ ↗

VTEB filings on SEC EDGAR ↗

VTEB prospectus with the expense ratio (SEC) ↗

Vanguard page for VTEB ↗

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 VTEB, data as of Oct 28, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/any/ewj-vs-vteb

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Free to use with attribution for data ETFIQ computes; issuer data stays under its owner's terms.