Does anyone know a list of some mutual fund companies and discount stock brokers in Japan? -

I live and Japan and would like to trade in yen. The language isn t a problem.

There are several ways in which US residents can buy Japanese stocks, i.e., buying the underlying shares through selected full-service and online brokers, buying US depository receipts (ADRs), or buying an ETF or a mutual fund that invests in Japanese stocks. Full service brokers such as Merrill Lynch can execute trades in Japanese stocks, for a full commission of course. Some online brokers such as E*Trade and and Charles Swab allow investors to purchase foreign stocks. In order to use these services, however, investors are required to call them to place the orders. Commission fees are also higher than for online trades. E*Trade s master plan is to have dealing operations in markets around the world and to interlink them. According to media reports, the roll-out of this global service has already begun. Other brokers such as InteractiveBrokers.com (US) and Saxo Bank.com (Denmark) claim to be able to trade foreign securities, but TJI does not have rankings for these brokers. US residents can buy American Depository Receipts (ADRs) of Japanese stocks registered in the US and either traded on the New York Stock Exchange or over the counter. Standard amp; Poor s ADR Index is composed of Japanese ADRs and ADRs of other international companies, and the brochure available at the above link describes the different types of ADRs issued by international companies in the US. JP Morgan, a major sponsor of ADRs, has a site (ADR.com) specifically dedicated to ADRs that also has information on earnings and other financial fundamentals for companies that issue ADRs. ADRs settle just like US securities and are denominated in dollars.