Matsui Securities Review | Is Matsui Securities Reliable? A Complete Analysis of Japan's FSA Regulation, Pioneer Online Brokerage, and Retail Investing

1. Brand Background and Development History

• Founded : 1931

• Group Background : Matsui Securities Co., Ltd. (listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, stock code 8628)

• Headquarters : Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan

• Employee size : about 300 people

• Market position : One of the first online brokerage firms in Japan, with a significant influence in the retail investment market

📌 Evidence:

• Matsui Securities official website

• JPX listed company information

Historical Development

• 1931 : Founded as a traditional securities firm.

• 1998 : Launched Japan's first Internet trading service, leading the industry's digitalization.

• 2000s : Becomes one of the most popular online brokerages among Japanese individual investors.

• 2010s–2020s : Continue to reduce transaction fees and promote the development of ETF and credit trading businesses.

• So far : Positioned as a low-cost internet retail brokerage , competing with SBI and Rakuten.

II. Supervision and Compliance

1. Japan's Financial Services Agency (FSA)

• Matsui Securities is a Category 1 financial instruments dealer and is strictly regulated by the FSA.

• Customer funds must be stored in isolation to ensure capital adequacy.

📌 FSA Japan Financial Services Agency

2. Japan Securities Dealers Association (JSDA)

• JSDA members must abide by industry self-regulatory rules.

3. Listing Compliance

• Listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (code: 8628), it is required to disclose financial information and regulatory reports regularly.

III. Account Types and Trading Conditions

Matsui Securities' account system is centered around individual retail customers :

📌 Matsui Securities Products

IV. Trading Products and Market Coverage

• Stocks and ETFs : Tokyo Stock Exchange Major Stocks + ETFs

• Bonds : Limited in scale, mainly JGB

• Funds : Investment Trusts and Pensions

• Derivatives : Nikkei 225, TOPIX stock index futures and options

• Credit trading : margin trading and securities lending business is active

• Wealth Management : Limited, focusing on retail investment services

Conclusion: Matsui Securities' products are centered around stock and ETF trading , with limited exposure to bond and investment banking businesses.

5. Trading Platform and Technical Advantages

1. Trading Platform

• Matsui NetStock (Web, App)

• Supports Japanese and partial English interfaces.

2. Technological advantages

• One of Japan's earliest Internet brokerages, with a stable online trading system.

• Provide API interface to facilitate programmatic trading.

3. User Experience

• The interface is simple and the functions are intuitive.

• Comparing SBI and Rakuten, the research and information are slightly insufficient.

VI. Funds Deposit, Withdrawal and Payment

Relying on the Japanese banking system, fund transfers are convenient.

7. Global Strategy and Business Expansion

• Positioning : Focus on the Japanese domestic market.

• Internationalization : Limited, mainly dependent on partner channels.

• Future strategies :

• Strengthen the advantage of low-cost transactions.

• Promote API and algorithmic trading functions.

• Develop more ETF and derivative products.

8. Competitive Comparison

Conclusion: Matsui Securities is characterized by extremely low fees , but it lags behind its competitors in internationalization and research resources.

9. User Experience

1. Open an account

• Japan Residents: Open an account online quickly.

• International customers: Support is limited.

2. Transaction speed

• Execution in the local market is stable.

• The platform has low latency and is suitable for high-frequency users.

3. Funding Experience

• Deposits and withdrawals are efficient.

10. Risk Management and Compliance Cases

• 2010s : The company was inspected by the FSA due to a client trading dispute.

• Corrective measures : Strengthen customer notification and risk control systems.

• Capital adequacy ratio : Maintain compliance levels over the long term.

11. Risk Warning

• Insufficient research and internationalization : not suitable for clients who need overseas asset allocation.

• Relatively small scale : cannot be compared with SBI or Rakuten.

• The platform has limited functionality : suitable for investors who are familiar with self-service trading.

12. Overall Rating (0–10 points)

• Regulatory Compliance: 8/10 — FSA regulated, stable and compliant

• Trading Experience: 8/10 – Simple platform, fast execution

• Fund Management: 8/10 — Banking background, fund security

• Fee Level: 9/10 — Extremely low fees, obvious advantages

• User reputation: 7/10 — Highly recognized by domestic users, but limited international recognition

Overall Score: 8.0/10 – A pioneer in low-cost online brokerage for the Japanese retail market, suitable for individual investors.

in conclusion

Matsui Securities, a pioneer in Japanese online brokerages, has carved out a niche in the retail investment market with its exceptionally low fees, stable platform, and regulatory compliance . However, its shortcomings lie in its limited research resources and international reach . Overall, it's suitable for cost-conscious Japanese retail investors , but those seeking global asset allocation might be better suited to SBI or Monex.