The Osaka Securities Exchange announced Monday that eight firms will be listed on the Nasdaq Japan market when it debuts June 19.

The eight include XNET Corp., a computer systems and services provider, Creek & River Co., a firm engaged in the production and management of multimedia content, and Sugi Pharmacy Co., the drugstore chain operator based in Aichi Prefecture.

Digital Design Co., an Osaka-based middleware and software developer, Digicube, a company selling game hardware and software in convenience stores, and Masternet Co., a network management and e-mail services provider, are also among the firms to be listed, the officials said.

Although it is not in the initial group, Morningstar Japan, an investment information service company affiliated with Softbank Corp., will join the new market by the end of June, the officials said.

Other firms, including Don Quijote Co., a electronic appliance retailer famous for its late hours, and Honda Verno Tokai Co., an Aichi-based car dealer, have also applied for listing, they said.

Nasdaq Japan President Tatsuyuki Saeki told a news conference that he hopes to see about 10 firms go public on the exchange by the end of the year.

The creation of Nasdaq Japan has spurred consolidation and competition between other domestic bourses.

The Tokyo Stock Exchange in November launched Mothers, a market for emerging and high-growth companies that will compete directly with Nasdaq Japan.

Mothers has more lenient listing requirements than the traditional bourses on the TSE and so far has nine firms listed.

In March, the TSE absorbed the smaller Hiroshima and Niigata stock exchanges, which were suffering from shrinking trading volumes.