"We are extremely excited about our partnership with ISE, the innovative market leader in the U.S. equity options market," said Michio Yoneda, President and CEO of OSE. "We believe there is a tremendous opportunity to create a world-class options trading venue in Japan , where the combination of a robust underlying equities market and increasingly sophisticated active investors is solidifying demand for exchange-listed equity options. With ISE's unparalleled expertise in building a fully-electronic options marketplace from the ground up, this initiative will help to revitalize the Japanese equity options market and to establish it as a useful investment tool for investors ."

ISE President and CEO Gary Katz said, "We are very pleased to enter into this partnership with OSE. OSE's track record of success in the Japanese market and their well-established relationships with both their customers and local regulators will complement ISE's options market model and market making structure. With our MOA now signed, we look forward to working with our partners at OSE and the Japanese Securities Industry to launch an exciting new options trading platform. It is a privilege for ISE to join OSE in a shared commitment to redefining equity options trading in Japan ."