Tokyo Trip: 04 - First visit to the Tokyo Stock Exchange

Please refer to the previous posting.

The day I arrived, a visit to the Tokyo Stock Exchange was arranged.

Some basic information on the TSE (source: Wikipedia):
"The Tokyo Stock Exchange (東京証券取引所 Tōkyō Shōken Torihikijo), which is called Tōshō (東証) or TSE for short, is a stock exchange located in Tokyo, Japan. It is the third largest stock exchange in the world by aggregate market capitalization of its listed companies. It had 2,292 listed companies with a combined market capitalization of US$3.3 trillion as of December 2011.
In July 2012 a planned merger with the Osaka Securities Exchange was approved by the Japan Fair Trade Commission. The resulting entity, the Japan Exchange Group (JPX) (日本取引所グループ Nihon Torihikijo Gurūpu), was launched on January 1, 2013."

The exchange is located in an unassuming building (see below). I would expect it to look something grand but instead, this is what you can see from the road.

The building has 4 entrances (that I know of) situated in all four sides of the building. If you enter from the side entrances, you can see the opposite entrance. Note how quiet and empty the building is.

The main trading hall is also eerily quiet. TSE has gone electronic trading so all the stuff is now going on in cyberspace.

This cage-like thing in the centre of the building houses the surveillance unit of TSE. They check to see for unusual trading patterns.

Something interesting to note about TSE is traditionally, lossers are in green and gainers are in red. Very confusing isn't it?

Some explanation about the exchange in English. This is a tourist attraction in Tokyo (and free as well to enter) and many visitors come to see TSE.

This is a video I took of the ticker display that goes round-and-round. The more liquid the market, the faster the ticker moves.

Another interesting area in the TSE is the museum. Loads of interesting things to see since this exchange is over 100 years in operations. In the centre of the following photo is an actual bond script with detachable coupons.

Share script circa 1922.

Original call boxes used in the exchange.

To be continued.