The total number of companies listed in Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) declined during 2008, according to Dr. Gil Feiler CEO of Info Prod Research. The number of companies at the beginning of 2008 totaled 2429 and dropped to 2389 companies. The foreign stocks totaled 16. The TSE is run by Tokyo Stock Exchange Group, Inc. Taizo Nishimuro is the chairman of the Board and Atsushi Saito is the President & CEO.

Feiler noted that there are three separate sections within the TSE market. The first and second sections, and Mothers (venture capital market). The first section is for the largest, most successful companies - often referred to as \'blue chips\'. The second section is for smaller companies with lower trading volume levels. Mothers (market for the growth and emerging stocks), established in November 1999, is for newer, innovative venture enterprises, both in Japan and overseas.

Japanese companies are active across the globe, with factories and branch offices in many overseas countries. As these companies increasingly localise some of their manufacturing and sales operations they were listed on the local markets. The benefits of doing so include increased public profile in that country, increased liquidity, and greater ease in issuing corporate bonds. 58 Japanese companies are listed in Germany, 31 in Paris, 30 in London, 28 in Luxembourg, 16 both in Switzerland and NASDAQ, 11 in New York and another 13 in Brussels, Singapore, Vienna and Toronto.