A financial instruments clearing organization must make its total number of issued shares, the number that represents all shareholders' voting rights and other matters specified by Cabinet Office Order available for public inspection, pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Office Order.

①A financial instruments clearing organization must obtain the authorization of the Prime Minister if it seeks to reduce its stated capital.

②A financial instruments clearing organization must notify the Prime Minister pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Office Order if it seeks to increase its stated capital.

If a particular set forth in Article 156-3, paragraph (1), items (iii) through (v) changes, the financial instruments clearing organization must notify the Prime Minister of this, pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Office Order, supplying a document specified in paragraph (2), item (i) or (iii) of that Article.

①A person falling under any of the following items may not become the director, accounting advisor, company auditor, or executive officer of a financial instruments clearing organization.

②The director, accounting advisor, company auditor, or executive officer of a financial instruments clearing organization loses that position upon coming to fall under the person provided for in the preceding paragraph.

③If the director, accounting advisor, company auditor, or executive officer of a financial instruments clearing organization is discovered to have become a director, accounting advisor, company auditor, or executive officer by wrongful means or if the director, accounting advisor, company auditor, or executive officer of a financial instruments clearing organization violates a law or regulation or a disposition by a government agency which is based on a law or regulation, the Prime Minister may order the financial instruments clearing organization to dismiss that director, accounting advisor, company auditor, or executive officer.

④The provisions of the proviso to Article 331, paragraph (2) of the Companies Act (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 335, paragraph (1) of that Act) and of Article 332, paragraph (2) (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 334, paragraph (1) of that Act); Article 336, paragraph (2); and the proviso to Article 402, paragraph (5) of that Act do not apply to financial instruments clearing organizations.

When the Prime Minister finds it to be necessary and appropriate in the public interest or for the protection of investors, the Prime Minister may order a financial instruments clearing organization, its clearing member, or the person that a financial instruments clearing organization has entrusted with its business (including a person that has received entrustment from the person (including entrustment at two or more degrees of separation from the original entrustment); hereinafter the same applies in this Article), to report or submit materials that should serve as a reference with regard to the business or assets of the financial instruments clearing organization, and may have the relevant officials inspect the state of the business or assets, or the books, documents, and any other articles, of a financial instruments clearing organization or the person that a financial instruments clearing organization has entrusted with its business (but may only have the relevant officials inspect the person that a financial instruments clearing organization has entrusted with its business as is necessary in connection with the business or assets of the financial instruments clearing organization).

If the Prime Minister finds it to be necessary and appropriate in the public interest or for the protection of investors as concerns a financial instruments clearing organization's business operations or the state of its assets, the Prime Minister may, to the extent necessary, order the financial instruments clearing organization to change its business outline or its business methods, or otherwise take measures that are necessary for improving its business operations or the state of its assets.

①If a financial instruments clearing organization is discovered to have fallen under any of the categories in the items of Article 156-4, paragraph (2) at the time it obtained its license, the Prime Minister may rescind the license.

②If a financial instruments clearing organization violates a law or regulation, a disposition by a government agency which is based on a law or regulation, or a condition attached to the approval referred to in the proviso to Article 156-6, paragraph (2) or in Article 156-19, paragraph (1), the Prime Minister may rescind the license referred to in Article 156-2 or the approval referred to in the proviso to Article 156-6, paragraph (2) or in Article 156-19, paragraph (1), order the suspension of all or part of its business during a fixed period of no longer than six months, or order the dismissal of its officers.

A resolution to discontinue the financial instruments obligation assumption services of a financial instruments clearing organization or a resolution to dissolve a financial instruments clearing organization does not become effective without the authorization of the Prime Minister.

①Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 87-2, paragraph (1) and Article 156-2, a financial instruments exchange may perform financial instruments obligation assumption services, etc. and business incidental thereto with the approval of the Prime Minister, pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Office Order.

②Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 87-2, paragraph (1), a financial instruments exchange engaged in the operation of a commodity market may perform commodity transaction debt assumption services, etc. and business incidental thereto with the approval of the Prime Minister, pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Office Order.

③If a financial instruments exchange engaged in the operation of a commodity market discontinues the business for which it has obtained the approval referred to in the preceding paragraph, it must notify the Prime Minister of this pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Office Order.

④The provisions of Article 156-6, paragraphs (4) and (5) apply mutatis mutandis to the approval referred to in paragraph (1) or (2).

①If a financial instruments exchange that obtains the approval referred to in paragraph (1) of the preceding Article falls under any of the following items, the Prime Minister may rescind the approval:

②If a financial instruments exchange engaged in the operation of a commodity market that has obtained the approval referred to in paragraph (2) of the preceding Article violates a law or regulation, a disposition by a government agency which is based on a law or regulation, or a condition attached to the approval referred to in that paragraph, the Prime Minister may rescind the approval referred to in that paragraph.

Notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding Section, a corporation incorporated based on foreign laws and regulations which performs services of the same type as financial instruments obligation assumption services in a foreign country may conduct financial instruments obligation assumption services if licensed by the Prime Minister pursuant to the provisions of this Section.

①A person seeking the license referred to in the preceding Article must designate a domestic representative and submit a written license application to the Prime Minister, in which it states the following particulars:

②The following documents must accompany the written license application referred to in the preceding paragraph:

③In the case referred to in the preceding paragraph, if the articles of incorporation or balance sheet has been prepared as an electronic or magnetic record or an electronic or magnetic record has been prepared for a profit and loss statement in lieu of a written document, the electronic or magnetic record (limited to those specified by Cabinet Office Order) may accompany the written license application in lieu of the written document.