Reason for this visit

As the world‘s third largest economy, Japan is the one of the forex trading hubs in Asia-Pacific. JPY has become a major currency in the trading as the global trade and capital flow expands. The country boasts a large scale forex spot market, with an average daily transaction volume of around 300 billion US dollars. Institutional investors are the main participants, while the proportion of individual investors rises steadily. At the meantime, the Financial Services Agency (FSA) and the Securities and Exchange Surveillance Commission (SESC) in Japan impose more stringent regulations on forex brokers, requiring them to verify the customers’ identity and hold sufficient funds. Recent years have witnessed the rise of online trading platforms. In brief, with an increasingly strict regulatory rules, Japans forex market is expected to embrace bright prospects – or a more stable global role for JPY. In an attempt to help investors better understand the current situation of forex brokers in Japan, WikiFX survey team decides to go to the country for on-site visits to local companies.

On-site visit

In this issue, the survey team went to Japan to visit forex broker Shikoku (licensee: 四国アライアンス証券株式会社) as planned according to its regulatory address that 9-41 Toiyacho, Matsuyama, Ehime.

On November 15, 2023, the investigators came to 9-41 Toiyacho in Matsuyama, the biggest city in Ehime, Japan, and located an office building beside the street. There are six offices of Shikoku in Ehime, including its head office. The eye-catching company name and logo of “Shikoku” as well as “四国アライアンス証券” on the façade of the building could be seen from a distance.

After arriving at the mansion for further investigation, the survey personnel spotted a reception area with intercom system at the entrance. Unluckily, people werent allowed to enter the building without an access card. The team had no clue about the exact company size due to the failure to pay an internal visit to the office and take photos inside.

Through the on-site investigation, it is confirmed that Shikoku has a physical presence at the place.

Conclusion

The survey team went to Japan to visit forex broker Shikoku as scheduled, and found the company‘s name at its regulatory address. This indicates that the broker has a physical business office at the location. Unfortunately, the exact business size of Shikoku is unknown as the team can’t access the office for a visit and taking photos is not prohibited inside. Meanwhile, investors are advised to make a sensible decision based on an overall consideration.

Disclaimer

The content is used for informational purpose only, and shall not be taken as a final order for making a choice.