Tokyo Stock Exchange History

The Tokyo Stock Exchange history effectively started in May 1878 when the Stock Exchange Ordinance was enacted. There had been calls for some form of public trading system since the 1870s when a securities system was introduced and Japanese bond negotiations had started.

On 1st June 1878, trading started on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

On 30th June 1943, 11 Japanese stock exchanges were unified and a semi public corporation, the 'Japan Securities Exchange' was established. However, this was later dissolved in April of 1947. All trading was suspended from 10th August 1945 until December 1945. At the time, Japan was suffering regular air raids on the mainland and the conditions of war were worsening. An attempt was made to reopen the exchange in September 1945 by SCAP (Supreme Commander of Allied Powers) but was unsuccessful.

On 1st April 1949, three stock exchanges were opened in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya. Trading began on 16th May. Five more exchanges were later opened (in Kyoto, Kobe, Hiroshima, Fukuoka and Niigata) in July of that year.

In April 1950 a stock exchange was opened in Sapporo. Subsequent mergers have since reduced the number of exchanges five with the Tokyo stock exchange being the largest.