# 会社法 / Companies Act — 第四十条 (Article 40) This is the Markdown twin of https://japanlaw.org/en/companies-act/art-40. Every law, and how to address a provision: https://japanlaw.org/llms.txt. The same laws as MCP tools (no sign-in): https://japanlaw.org/mcp. - Law: 会社法 (Companies Act), 平成十七年法律第八十六号 - English title "Companies Act": Ministry of Justice translation - Kind: Act — the distinction between 法律 (Act), 政令 (Cabinet Order), 省令 (Ministerial Order) and 条例 (local ordinance) decides who may issue it and what it may say. - Provision: 第四十条 (Article 40)（設立時役員等の選任の方法） — address `art-40` - Text in force since: 2026-08-12 - URL (the page that opens at this provision): https://japanlaw.org/en/companies-act/art-40 - Permanent URL (e-Gov law ID, never renamed): https://japanlaw.org/l/417AC0000000086/art-40 - Every provision below carries its address and both URLs on the line under it. - Japanese text: e-Gov 法令検索, Digital Agency (デジタル庁). English: as marked on each line below. Only the Japanese as published by the government has legal effect; the text below is a copy of it. Every English rendering below is a translation and says which kind: the Ministry of Justice's translation, or this site's machine translation, whose model and date the Sources list names. They are never merged and never substituted for one another. --- ### 第四十条（設立時役員等の選任の方法） — (Method of Election of Officers at Incorporation) caption: Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System art-40 · https://japanlaw.org/en/companies-act/art-40 · https://japanlaw.org/l/417AC0000000086/art-40 **第一項** 設立時役員等の選任は、発起人の議決権の過半数をもって決定する。 art-40/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/en/companies-act/art-40/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/417AC0000000086/art-40/par-1 The election of the officers, etc. at incorporation is determined by a majority of the votes of the incorporators. Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System **第二項** 前項の場合には、発起人は、出資の履行をした設立時発行株式一株につき一個の議決権を有する。ただし、単元株式数を定款で定めている場合には、一単元の設立時発行株式につき一個の議決権を有する。 art-40/par-2 · https://japanlaw.org/en/companies-act/art-40/par-2 · https://japanlaw.org/l/417AC0000000086/art-40/par-2 In the cases provided for in the preceding paragraph, an incorporator is entitled to one vote for each one share issued at incorporation for which the performance of contributions has been fulfilled; provided, however, that, if the share unit is provided for in the articles of incorporation, an incorporator is entitled to one vote for each one unit of the shares issued at incorporation. Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System **第三項** 前項の規定にかかわらず、設立しようとする株式会社が種類株式発行会社である場合において、取締役の全部又は一部の選任について議決権を行使することができないものと定められた種類の設立時発行株式を発行するときは、当該種類の設立時発行株式については、発起人は、当該取締役となる設立時取締役の選任についての議決権を行使することができない。 art-40/par-3 · https://japanlaw.org/en/companies-act/art-40/par-3 · https://japanlaw.org/l/417AC0000000086/art-40/par-3 Notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding paragraph, if the stock company to be incorporated is a company with class shares, and it issues shares issued at incorporation of a class for which it is provided that the voting rights may not be exercised in connection with the election of some or all of the directors, with respect to relevant class of the shares issued at incorporation, the incorporators may not exercise voting rights in connection with the election of the directors at incorporation who are to become relevant directors. Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System **第四項** 設立しようとする株式会社が監査等委員会設置会社である場合における前項の規定の適用については、同項中「、取締役」とあるのは「、監査等委員である取締役又はそれ以外の取締役」と、「当該取締役」とあるのは「これらの取締役」とする。 art-40/par-4 · https://japanlaw.org/en/companies-act/art-40/par-4 · https://japanlaw.org/l/417AC0000000086/art-40/par-4 For the purpose of the application of the provisions of the preceding paragraph if the stock company to be incorporated is a company with audit and supervisory committee, the phrase", director" in the same paragraph is deemed to be replaced with ", director who is an audit and supervisory committee member or other director", and the term "relevant director" is deemed to be replaced with "these directors". Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System **第五項** 第三項の規定は、設立時会計参与、設立時監査役及び設立時会計監査人の選任について準用する。 art-40/par-5 · https://japanlaw.org/en/companies-act/art-40/par-5 · https://japanlaw.org/l/417AC0000000086/art-40/par-5 The provisions of paragraph (3) apply mutatis mutandis to the election of accounting advisors at incorporation, company auditors at incorporation and financial auditors at incorporation. Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System --- ## Cites - art-40/par-2: 前項 → 会社法 第四十条第一項 (Article 40, paragraph (1)), art-40/par-1 — https://japanlaw.org/en/companies-act/art-40/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/417AC0000000086/art-40/par-1 - art-40/par-3: 前項 → 会社法 第四十条第二項 (Article 40, paragraph (2)), art-40/par-2 — https://japanlaw.org/en/companies-act/art-40/par-2 · https://japanlaw.org/l/417AC0000000086/art-40/par-2 - art-40/par-4: 前項 → 会社法 第四十条第三項 (Article 40, paragraph (3)), art-40/par-3 — https://japanlaw.org/en/companies-act/art-40/par-3 · https://japanlaw.org/l/417AC0000000086/art-40/par-3 - art-40/par-5: 第三項 → 会社法 第四十条第三項 (Article 40, paragraph (3)), art-40/par-3 — https://japanlaw.org/en/companies-act/art-40/par-3 · https://japanlaw.org/l/417AC0000000086/art-40/par-3 ## Cited by 6 provisions cite this one. No official source publishes this direction. - 会社法 第四十条第二項（設立時役員等の選任の方法） — https://japanlaw.org/en/companies-act/art-40/par-2 · https://japanlaw.org/l/417AC0000000086/art-40/par-2 - 会社法 第四十条第三項（設立時役員等の選任の方法） — https://japanlaw.org/en/companies-act/art-40/par-3 · https://japanlaw.org/l/417AC0000000086/art-40/par-3 - 会社法 第四十条第四項（設立時役員等の選任の方法） — https://japanlaw.org/en/companies-act/art-40/par-4 · https://japanlaw.org/l/417AC0000000086/art-40/par-4 - 会社法 第四十条第五項（設立時役員等の選任の方法） — https://japanlaw.org/en/companies-act/art-40/par-5 · https://japanlaw.org/l/417AC0000000086/art-40/par-5 - 会社法 第四十一条第一項（設立時役員等の選任の方法の特則） — https://japanlaw.org/en/companies-act/art-41/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/417AC0000000086/art-41/par-1 - 会社法 第四十五条第一項（設立時役員等の選任又は解任の効力についての特則） — https://japanlaw.org/en/companies-act/art-45/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/417AC0000000086/art-45/par-1 --- ## Sources - e-Gov 法令検索, Digital Agency (デジタル庁) — 会社法 — the text in force from 2026-08-12 (https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/417AC0000000086/20260812_508AC0000000064), retrieved 2026-09-17 - Japanese Law Translation Database System, Ministry of Justice (法務省) — Companies Act — Ministry of Justice translation (part 1 of 2) (https://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/en/laws/view/4481/tb), retrieved 2026-09-17 - This site's parser, version 223 — 会社法 — structure, counts, cross-references and defined terms, computed 2026-09-17