Online brokers & trading platforms in Japan in 2024

Written by
Adam N.
Fact checked by
Updated
Sep 2024

Dive into our top list of regulated and trusted brokers that we tested with real money. Every broker is available in Japan in 2024.

Top 10 Brokers in Japan by BrokerChooser:

  1. Interactive Brokers is the best online broker and trading platform in 2024. Extremely low fees. Wide range of products. Many great research tools.
  2. Webull - Free stock/ETF trading and high 5% interest on uninvested cash. Fast and easy account opening. Great trading platforms.
  3. moomoo - Commission-free stock and ETF trading. Fast and easy account opening. Quality analytical tools and excellent education services. Pays high interest on uninvested cash.
  4. Alpaca Trading - Great API trading service. Free stock & ETF trading. Fantastic charting tools.
  5. IG - First-class web trading platform. Superb educational tools. Great deposit and withdrawal options.
  6. Forex.com - Low forex fees. Great variety of currency pairs. Diverse technical research tools.
  7. NinjaTrader - Low trading fees. Great platform and research. Quality educational materials.
  8. Plus500 - Well-designed platform. Great account opening. Quick and helpful customer support.
  9. Optimus Futures - Low trading fees and free ACH withdrawal. Great platform and research. Fast customer service.
  10. TradeStation - Great web and mobile trading platform. High level of investor protection. High-quality research and education tools.

Can I trust these brokers in Japan?

Yes, BrokerChooser exclusively recommends legit brokers, overseen by at least one globally acknowledged regulator. We track more than 20,000 brokers and trading platforms that we don't recommend. To be sure that a broker is reputable and reliable, use our unique Scam Broker Shield tool.

Key criteria determining a broker's trustworthiness are: regulation, availability of investor protection, as well as a long and spotless track record. Explore the interactive table below, encompassing this array of vital data.

Broker
Top-tier regulators
Trusted broker
Interactive Brokers
FCA in the UK, SEC in the US, and ASIC in Australia
Webull
SEC and FINRA in the US
moomoo
SEC and FINRA in the US, MAS in Singapore, ASIC in Australia, CIRO in Canada, SC in Malaysia, FSA in Japan
Alpaca Trading
SEC and FINRA in the US
IG
FCA in the UK, BaFin in Germany, and ASIC in Australia
Forex.com
CFTC in the US, FCA in the UK, and ASIC in Australia
NinjaTrader
CFTC in the US and member of the NFA
Plus500
FCA in the UK, ASIC in Australia, and MAS in Singapore
Optimus Futures
CFTC in the US and member of the NFA
TradeStation
SEC and FINRA in the US
Trust metrics for the best brokers in Japan in 2024
We label a broker as trusted if it has reliable regulation.

Get a personalized broker recommendation

125,500 people have already found a broker using this tool!
Each answer refines your broker toplist.

Where do you live?

Why it matters
country flag us
United States
Start matching me with the best brokers

Popularity of Top 10 Brokers in Japan

Interested in what others think? Here's how many people chose these brokers at BrokerChooser in the last 6 months.

Compare Top 10 Brokers in Japan:

Compare key features of Top 10 Brokers in Japan such as overall score, minimum deposit, time to open account, country of regulation, withdawal options, withdawal fees.

Broker
Overall score
Minimum deposit
Interactive Brokers
4.9
/5
$0
Webull
4.6
/5
$0
moomoo
4.6
/5
$0
Alpaca Trading
4.5
/5
$0
IG
4.5
/5
$0
Forex.com
4.5
/5
$100
NinjaTrader
4.5
/5
$0
Plus500
4.5
/5
$100
Optimus Futures
4.5
/5
$500
TradeStation
4.4
/5
$0
Brokers and trading accounts available in Japan

 

For detailed information see the following articles:

 

Stock trading fees in Japan

Now let's check in detail the trading and non-trading fees charged by the best brokers for investing in stocks from Japan. All spreads, commissions and financing rates are for opening a position, holding for a week, and closing.

Broker
US stock
UK stock fee
Interactive Brokers
$1.0
$3.8
Webull
$0.0
-
moomoo
$0.0
-
Alpaca Trading
$0.0
-
IG
$10.0
$10.0
Forex.com
-
-
NinjaTrader
-
-
Plus500
-
-
Optimus Futures
-
-
TradeStation
$5.0
-
Stock trading and non-trading fees in Japan

How to invest in stocks from Japan

There are many high-quality online brokers that offer their services for clients in Japan. Among these, you can find providers that offer stocks from Japan, but if you're looking to invest in other global markets, your possibilities open up even more.

Top brokers for investing in stocks

We have compiled a list of brokers that are available in Japan and are great for investing in stocks. We recommend that you pick one of the following brokers:

  1. Interactive Brokers, International broker providing all asset classes
  2. Webull, US discount broker
  3. moomoo, US zero-fee discount broker
  4. Alpaca Trading, US API broker
  5. IG, Global CFD and forex broker

Are you ready to start?

1. Find an online broker

First, you need to make sure that the broker you're looking at is available in Japan.

Would you like to speed up your search?

Our broker finder tool will help you narrow down your choices, showing only those brokers that are available in your country and are suitable for your investment goals and habits. And if you want a detailed, side-by-side comparison of these alternatives, check out our broker comparison table.

Broker
Stock and ETF fee scores
Web platform score
Interactive Brokers
4.6
/5
4.3
/5
Webull
5.0
/5
5.0
/5
moomoo
5.0
/5
0.0
/5
Alpaca Trading
5.0
/5
4.0
/5
IG
0.0
/5
5.0
/5
Forex.com
0.0
/5
4.5
/5
NinjaTrader
0.0
/5
0.0
/5
Plus500
0.0
/5
4.5
/5
Optimus Futures
0.0
/5
0.0
/5
TradeStation
3.7
/5
4.3
/5
Top brokers for investing in stocks from Japan

Here at BrokerChooser, we only recommend brokers that are regulated by at least one top-tier financial authority. Please note that some global brokers operate via several legal entities, each regulated by a local authority – so for example, US clients would be overseen by a US regulator, and UK clients by a UK financial authority. Some regulators also run investor protection schemes, making you eligible for compensation if your broker goes bankrupt.

2. Open your account

Opening an account at an online broker is usually easy and straightforward, and takes place fully online. Most of the time, you just need to provide your name, address and other basic information, and maybe answer some questions about your wealth/income status, financial knowledge or trading experience.

Make sure you have your documents at hand, as

  • copies of a photo ID
  • some recent bank statements
  • or utility bills

are usually required to verify your identity and residency.

3. Fund your account

So your trading account has been verified; the next step is to fund it – in other words, to deposit money that you will then use for trading stocks. Some brokers require a minimum deposit when you open your account, but most brokers do not have such a requirement, allowing you to take your time before committing any funds.

All brokers will allow you to deposit or withdraw funds via bank transfer; an easy, usually free, though not always super-fast method. Withdrawing money to your bank account can take as long as three days.

Many brokers also let you deposit (though not withdraw) funds using credit or debit cards. A few will also accept so-called electronic wallets such as PayPal, Apple Pay, Skrill or Neteller. The biggest benefit of cards and e-wallets is that transactions take place instantly, allowing you to start investing – or reap the proceeds of a successful stock sale – right away.

4. Find and trade stocks

You may already know which stock(s) you want to trade; if not, it's worth checking out the research section of your broker, which often includes trading ideas and recommendations by in-house experts or third-party analysts. Alternatively, you can do a bit of research on your own, and check the selected stock's earnings multiples, or read up on industry news.

Once you have settled on a stock, it's easy – just

  • select it from the broker's search menu
  • enter the number of shares you want to trade
  • proceed with the trade

Most trading platforms will offer several order types - such as a "Market" order to trade at the current price, or a "Limit" order to trade later at a specific price. To learn more about various order types, read this article.

Trading account from Japan

How to open a trading account from Japan?

There are several factors to consider when opening a trading account, including the user-friendliness of the platform or the minimum deposit amount. Let's deep dive into these.

The time it takes to open an account typically ranges from a few minutes to a few weeks. The identity verification that marks the end of the process differs at various brokers. The account opening process is fully online in most cases, but there are brokers that require customers to mail a copy of their documents. The documents you usually have to upload and/or send (a copy) are of the following:

  • Proof of identity: national ID, passport, driving license, etc.
  • Proof of address: bank statements, utility bills, etc.

There are brokers that require a minimum deposit to authorize your trading account. The minimum deposit is usually $0 or a low amount, but some brokers demand a couple of thousands dollars/euros.

Broker
Broker intro
Time to open account
Interactive Brokers
International broker providing all asset classes
1-3 days
Webull
US discount broker
1 day
moomoo
US zero-fee discount broker
1-3 days
Alpaca Trading
US API broker
1 day
IG
Global CFD and forex broker
1-3 days
Forex.com
Global CFD and forex broker
1-3 days
NinjaTrader
Global platform provider focusing on futures trading
>3 days
Plus500
Global CFD broker
1 day
Optimus Futures
Global platform provider focusing on futures trading
1 day
TradeStation
US stockbroker
1 day
Account opening at brokers available from Japan

Broker fees in Japan

Undoubtedly, fees are a crucial factor when selecting a broker. Below you can check the asset classes that individual brokers provide and whether their fees are classified as high, low, or average. This classification is based on how the fees compare to those charged by all the brokers reviewed by us.

Broker
Stock fee class
Forex fee class
Interactive Brokers
Low
Average
Webull
Low
moomoo
Low
Alpaca Trading
Low
IG
Low
Forex.com
Low
NinjaTrader
Plus500
Average
Optimus Futures
TradeStation
Low
Trading fee classification at brokers in Japan

Non-trading fees are just as important as trading fees. Non-trading fees include charges not directly related to trading, such as withdrawal or inactivity fees.

Broker
Account fee
Inactivity fee
Interactive Brokers
Webull
moomoo
Alpaca Trading
IG
Forex.com
NinjaTrader
Plus500
Optimus Futures
TradeStation
Non-trading fees at brokers in Japan
Got questions?
Engage with our growing community of traders and investors like you to find your answers.
Join now

Everything you find on BrokerChooser is based on reliable data and unbiased information. We combine our 10+ years finance experience with readers feedback. Read more about our methodology.

author
Adam Nasli
Author of this article
I bring extensive financial expertise as one of BrokerChooser's earliest team members. Personally, I tested nearly all 100+ brokers on our site, opening real-money accounts, executing trades, assessing customer services, and providing firsthand assessment. My professional background includes roles in the banking sector and a degree from Central European University, where I teach finance. My passions lies in in-depth research of the financial industry, building trading algorithms, and managing long-term investments.
Media mentions
×
I'd like to trade with...