Companies Act

A membership company conducting any one of the acts set forth in the following items (hereinafter referred to as the "surviving membership company, etc." in this Article) must, in the cases specified respectively in those items, obtain the consent of all members of the surviving membership company, etc. with regard to the absorption-type merger agreement, etc. by the day immediately preceding the effective day; provided, however, that this does not apply if it is otherwise provided for in the articles of incorporation:

absorption-type merger (limited to cases where the membership company survives in the absorption-type merger):the cases prescribed in Article 751, paragraph (1), item (ii);

succession of all or part of the rights and obligations held by another company in connection with its business through an absorption-type company split:the cases prescribed in Article 760, item (iv); or

acquisition of all of the issued shares of a stock company through a share exchange:the cases prescribed in Article 770, paragraph (1), item (ii).

The provisions of Article 799 (excluding paragraph (2), item (iii)) and Article 800 apply mutatis mutandis to a surviving membership company, etc. In these cases, the term "shares in the wholly owning parent stock company resulting from the share exchange" in Article 799, paragraph (1), item (iii) is deemed to be replaced with "equity interest in the wholly owning parent limited liability company resulting from the share exchange", and the phrase "thereto, or in the cases prescribed in Article 768, paragraph (1), item (iv), (c)" in that item is deemed to be replaced with "thereto".

Each of the stock companies set forth in the following items (hereinafter referred to as a "disappearing stock company, etc." in this Division) must, from the day on which the consolidation-type merger agreement, etc. began to be kept until the day on which six months have elapsed from the day of formation of the company incorporated in the consolidation-type merger, the company incorporated in the incorporation-type split, or the wholly owning parent company incorporated in a share transfer (hereinafter referred to as an "incorporated company" in this division) (or, for any stock company disappearing in a consolidation-type merger, the day of formation of the company incorporated in the consolidation-type merger), keep documents detailing what is specified in those items (hereinafter referred to as the "consolidation-type merger agreement, etc." in this Section) and other information prescribed by Ministry of Justice Order, or electronic or magnetic records in which the information has been recorded, at its head office:

stock company disappearing in a consolidation-type merger:the consolidation-type merger agreement;

stock company splitting in an incorporation-type split:the incorporation-type company split plan; and

wholly owned subsidiary company resulting from a share transfer:the share transfer plan.

The "day on which the consolidation-type merger agreement, etc. began to be kept" prescribed in the preceding paragraph means the earliest of the following days:

if the consolidation-type merger agreement, etc. is required to be approved by a resolution at a shareholders meeting (including a general meeting of class shareholders), the day two weeks prior to the day of the shareholders meeting (or, in the cases prescribed in Article 319, paragraph (1), the day when the proposal under that paragraph is submitted);

if there are shareholders who are to receive the notice under the provisions of Article 806, paragraph (3), the day of the notice under the provisions of that paragraph or the day of the public notice under paragraph (4) of that Article, whichever is earlier;

if there are share option holders who are to receive the notice under the provisions of Article 808, paragraph (3), the day of the notice under the provisions of that paragraph or the day of the public notice under paragraph (4) of that Article, whichever is earlier;

if the procedures under the provisions of Article 810 are required to be carried out, the day of the public notice under the provisions of paragraph (2) of that Article or the day of the notice under the provisions of that paragraph, whichever is earlier; or

in cases other than those prescribed in the preceding items, the day on which two weeks have elapsed from the day of preparation of the incorporation-type company split plan.

Shareholders and creditors of a disappearing stock company, etc. (or, in the case of a wholly owned subsidiary company resulting from a share transfer, shareholders and share option holders) may make the following requests to the disappearing stock company, etc. at any time during its business hours; provided, however, that the fees designated by the disappearing stock company, etc. are required to be paid in order to make the requests set forth in item (ii) or item (iv):

requests for inspection of the documents set forth in paragraph (1);

requests for delivery of a transcript or extract of the documents set forth in paragraph (1);

a request to inspect anything that is used in a manner prescribed by Ministry of Justice Order to display the information recorded in an electronic or magnetic record as referred to in paragraph (1); and

a request to be provided with the information recorded in an electronic or magnetic record as referred to in paragraph (1) by an electronic or magnetic means that the disappearing stock company, etc. has designated, or a request to be issued a document showing that information.

A disappearing stock company, etc. must obtain the approval of the consolidation-type merger agreement, etc. by a resolution at a shareholders meeting.

Notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding paragraph, if the company incorporated in the consolidation-type merger is a membership company, consent of all shareholders of the stock companies disappearing in the consolidation-type merger must be obtained with regard to the consolidation-type merger agreement.

If a stock company disappearing in a consolidation-type merger or the wholly owned subsidiary company resulting from a share transfer is a company with classes shares, if all or part of the shares, etc. of the stock company incorporated in the consolidation-type merger or the wholly owning parent company incorporated in a share transfer to be delivered to shareholders of the stock company disappearing in the consolidation-type merger or the wholly owned subsidiary company resulting from a share transfer are shares with a restriction on transfer, etc., the consolidation-type merger or the share transfer does not become effective without a resolution at a general meeting of class shareholders constituted by class shareholders of the class of shares subject to the allotment of the shares with a restriction on transfer, etc. (excluding shares with a restriction on transfer) (if there are two or more classes of shares relating to relevant class shareholders, the respective general meetings of class shareholders constituted by class shareholders categorized by the class of relevant two or more classes of shares); provided, however, that this does not apply to cases where there is no class shareholder able to exercise a voting right at relevant general meeting of class shareholders.

A disappearing stock company, etc. must notify its registered pledgees of shares (excluding the registered pledgees of shares in the cases prescribed in the following Article) and registered pledgees of share options concerning the share options specified in the items of Article 808, paragraph (3) that it will effect the consolidation-type merger, the incorporation-type company split or the share transfer (hereinafter referred to as a "consolidation-type merger, etc." in this Section) within two weeks from the day of the resolution at the shareholders meeting set forth in paragraph (1) (or, in the cases prescribed in paragraph (2), the day of obtainment of the consent of all shareholders set forth in that paragraph).

A public notice may be substituted for the notice under the provisions of the preceding paragraph.

The provisions of paragraph (1) of the preceding Article do not apply if the sum of the book value of the assets that the company incorporated in an incorporation-type split succeeds to through the incorporation-type company split does not exceed one-fifth (or, if a lesser proportion is prescribed in the articles of incorporation of the stock company splitting in the incorporation-type split, relevant proportion) of the amount calculated by the method specified by Ministry of Justice Order as the total assets of the stock company splitting in the incorporation-type split.

If a consolidation-type merger, etc. violates laws and regulations or the articles of incorporations, if shareholders of a disappearing stock company, etc. are likely to suffer disadvantages, shareholders of the disappearing stock company, etc. may demand the disappearing stock company, etc. to cease the consolidation-type merger, etc.;provided, however, that this does not apply to cases prescribed in the preceding Article.

In cases of effecting a consolidation-type merger, etc. (excluding the following cases), dissenting shareholders may demand that the disappearing stock company, etc. purchase, at a fair price, the shares that they hold:

in cases prescribed in Article 804, paragraph (2); and

in cases prescribed in Article 805.

The "dissenting shareholders" provided for in the preceding paragraph means the shareholders provided for in the following items:

shareholders who gave notice to relevant disappearing stock company, etc. to the effect that they dissented from relevant consolidation-type merger, etc. prior to the shareholders meeting set forth in Article 804, paragraph (1) (if a resolution at a general meeting of class shareholders is required to effect the consolidation-type merger, etc., including relevant general meeting of class shareholders) and who dissented from relevant consolidation-type merger, etc. at the relevant shareholders meeting (limited to those who can exercise voting rights at relevant shareholders meeting); and

shareholders who are unable to exercise voting rights at the relevant shareholders meeting.

A disappearing stock company, etc. must notify its shareholders that it will effect a consolidation-type merger, etc. and the trade names and addresses of the companies disappearing in the consolidation-type merger, the company splitting in the incorporation-type split, or the wholly owned subsidiary company resulting from a share transfer (hereinafter referred to as the "disappearing company, etc." in this Section) and the incorporated company, within two weeks from the day of the resolution at the shareholders meeting referred to in Article 804, paragraph (1); provided, however, that this does not apply in the cases set forth in the items of paragraph (1).

A public notice may be substituted for the notice under the provisions of the preceding paragraph.

To make a demand under the provisions of paragraph (1) (hereinafter referred to as the "exercise of appraisal rights" in this division) a dissenting shareholder must indicate the number of shares with regard to which the shareholder is exercising the appraisal rights (or, for a company with classes shares, the classes of the shares and the number of shares for each class), within twenty days from the day of the notice under the provisions of paragraph (3) or the public notice under the preceding paragraph.

When intending to exercise appraisal rights on shares for which share certificates have been issued, shareholders of those shares must submit the share certificates representing those shares to the disappearing stock company, etc.;provided, however, that this does not apply to a person who makes a demand pursuant to the provisions of Article 223 with respect to those share certificates.

Shareholders exercising appraisal rights may withdraw their demands for appraisal only with the approval of the disappearing stock company, etc.

The demands of the shareholders exercising appraisal rights lose effect if the consolidation-type merger, etc. is cancelled.

The provisions of Article 133 do not apply to shares for the exercise of appraisal rights.

If a shareholder exercises appraisal rights and an agreement determining the price of the shares is reached between the shareholder and the disappearing stock company, etc. (or between the shareholder and the company incorporated in the consolidation-type merger, if a consolidation-type merger is effected and it is after the day of formation of the company incorporated in the consolidation-type merger; hereinafter the same applies in this Article), the disappearing stock company, etc. must pay that price within sixty days from the day of formation of the incorporated company.

If no agreement on the determination of the price of the shares is reached within thirty days from the day of formation of the incorporated company, shareholders or the disappearing stock company, etc. may file a petition for the court to determine the price within thirty days after the expiration of that period.

Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (7) of the preceding Article, in the cases prescribed in the preceding paragraph, if the petition under that paragraph is not filed within sixty days from the day of formation of the incorporated company, shareholders exercising appraisal rights may withdraw their demands for appraisal at any time after the expiration of the period.

The disappearing stock company, etc. must also pay interest on the price determined by the court at the statutory rate from and including the day of the expiration of the period referred to in paragraph (1).

A disappearing stock company, etc. may pay the amount that the disappearing stock company, etc. considers to be a fair price to shareholders until determination of the price of shares.

A share purchase connected with the exercise of appraisal rights becomes effective on the day of formation of the incorporated company.

If a shareholder exercises appraisal rights with respect to shares for which share certificates are issued, the share certificate-issuing company must pay the price of the shares relating to the exercise of the appraisal rights in exchange for the share certificates.