Methodology for saving amount
This document is made in Japanese and translated into English for reference purposes only. In the event of any discrepancy between the Japanese and English versions, the Japanese version shall prevail.
Based on data from the Japanese stock market,
this page explains how much active individual investors pay in annual trading commissions.
Individual Investor Trading Volume in the Overall Market
According to statistics from the Japan Exchange Group (JPX),
the annual total trading value in Japan's cash equity market is approximately 2,000 trillion yen[1].
Of this, the individual investor trading share is estimated at approximately 28%[2].
In other words, the annual total trading value by individual investors is:
Approx. 2,000 trillion yen × 28% ≈ Approx. 560 trillion yen
Trading Volume Per Active Individual Investor
Japan has approximately 16 million individual accounts for stock investing [3].
However, only a portion of these accounts belong to investors who trade consistently.
Based on industry standards, assuming approximately 15% are active investors,
- 16 million × 15% ≈ Approx. 2.4 million
Dividing the total annual trading value of approximately 560 trillion yen by
these 2.4 million investors gives:
560 trillion yen ÷ 2.4 million ≈ Approx. 230 million yen/year
U.S. Stock Trading Volume Per Individual Investor
Assuming individual investors trade U.S. stocks at approximately 10% of their Japanese stock trading volume,
- 230 million yen × 10% = 23 million yen/year
Annual Fees Incurred
We assume the following typical brokerage fees[4]:
- Trading commission: 0.495% (max USD 22)
- Foreign exchange fee: 0.25 yen/USD (yen-denominated settlement)
- Exchange rate: 1 USD = 156 yen
The annual trading volume of 23 million yen
is equivalent to approximately USD 147,435.
- Trading commission
23,000,000 yen × 0.495% = 113,850 yen
- Foreign exchange fee
0.25 yen × 147,435 USD = 36,859 yen
Total: Approx. 150,000 yen/year
*Calculation assumes the trading commission per transaction does not exceed the maximum.
The Hidden Nature of Costs
Although individual transaction fees may seem small,
they accumulate to approximately 150,000 yen per year with repeated trading.
Many individual investors
continue paying this amount without being fully aware of it.
Sources and References
- Japan Exchange Group (JPX)
- Nomura Institute of Capital Markets Research
- Japan Securities Dealers Association
- Estimated Typical Fees
Trading commission 0.495%, foreign exchange fee 0.25 yen
Calculated based on our survey of commission rates from multiple brokerages handling U.S. stocks as of January 2026.