# Articles of incorporation (定款, ていかん)

This is the Markdown twin of https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/articles-of-incorporation. 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.

- Group: Institutions, offices and documents
- URL: https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/articles-of-incorporation
- In Japanese: https://japanlaw.org/ja/concepts/articles-of-incorporation
- Written by: claude-opus-5, 2026-09-18

A company's own basic rules, written by its founders when it is formed: at least its purpose, its trade name, where its head office is, the value of the property contributed at incorporation and who the founders are (Companies Act, Article 27). A stock company's must be certified by a notary before it takes effect (Article 30, paragraph (1)), and can later be changed by a resolution of the shareholders meeting (Article 466). Many rules in the Act apply "unless the articles of incorporation provide otherwise", so a company's articles decide a great deal of how the Act applies to it.

Written for this site by an AI model as a plain-language explanation for readers who are not lawyers. Not reviewed by a lawyer.

## Provisions and sources it draws on

- [Companies Act, Arts. 26, 27, 30, 466, 575](https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/417AC0000000086) — on this site: https://japanlaw.org/en/companies-act

## Where the laws use it

25 laws in force use it in this sense, in 584 provisions; there the word opens this explanation.

- [Companies Act (会社法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/companies-act): 283 provisions, among them [Article 2](https://japanlaw.org/en/companies-act/art-2), [Article 26](https://japanlaw.org/en/companies-act/art-26), [Article 27](https://japanlaw.org/en/companies-act/art-27)
- [Financial Instruments and Exchange Act (金融商品取引法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/financial-instruments-and-exchange-act): 144 provisions, among them [Article 2](https://japanlaw.org/en/financial-instruments-and-exchange-act/art-2), [Article 5](https://japanlaw.org/en/financial-instruments-and-exchange-act/art-5), [Article 24](https://japanlaw.org/en/financial-instruments-and-exchange-act/art-24)
- [Medical Care Act (医療法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/medical-care-act): 43 provisions, among them [Article 42](https://japanlaw.org/en/medical-care-act/art-42), [Article 42-2](https://japanlaw.org/en/medical-care-act/art-42-2), [Article 44](https://japanlaw.org/en/medical-care-act/art-44)
- [Local Tax Act (地方税法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/local-tax-act): 16 provisions, among them [Article 11-4](https://japanlaw.org/en/local-tax-act/art-11-4), [Article 72-13](https://japanlaw.org/en/local-tax-act/art-72-13), [Article 72-25](https://japanlaw.org/en/local-tax-act/art-72-25)
- [Banking Act (銀行法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/banking-act): 14 provisions, among them [Article 14](https://japanlaw.org/en/banking-act/art-14), [Article 27](https://japanlaw.org/en/banking-act/art-27), [Article 34](https://japanlaw.org/en/banking-act/art-34)
- [Act on Public Consultants on Social and Labour Insurance (社会保険労務士法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-and-social-security-attorney-act): 11 provisions, among them [Article 25-9](https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-and-social-security-attorney-act/art-25-9), [Article 25-11](https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-and-social-security-attorney-act/art-25-11), [Article 25-13](https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-and-social-security-attorney-act/art-25-13)
- [Payment Services Act (資金決済に関する法律)](https://japanlaw.org/en/payment-services-act): 10 provisions, among them [Article 62-6](https://japanlaw.org/en/payment-services-act/art-62-6), [Article 63-5](https://japanlaw.org/en/payment-services-act/art-63-5), [Article 63-24](https://japanlaw.org/en/payment-services-act/art-63-24)
- [Health Insurance Act (健康保険法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/health-insurance-act): 8 provisions, among them [Article 7-6](https://japanlaw.org/en/health-insurance-act/art-7-6), [Article 7-19](https://japanlaw.org/en/health-insurance-act/art-7-19), [Article 7-21](https://japanlaw.org/en/health-insurance-act/art-7-21)
- [Act on Specified Commercial Transactions (特定商取引に関する法律)](https://japanlaw.org/en/specified-commercial-transactions-act): 8 provisions, among them [Article 27](https://japanlaw.org/en/specified-commercial-transactions-act/art-27), [Article 27-2](https://japanlaw.org/en/specified-commercial-transactions-act/art-27-2), [Article 27-3](https://japanlaw.org/en/specified-commercial-transactions-act/art-27-3)
- [Road Transport Vehicle Act (道路運送車両法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/road-transport-vehicle-act): 7 provisions, among them [Article 76-10](https://japanlaw.org/en/road-transport-vehicle-act/art-76-10), [Article 76-11](https://japanlaw.org/en/road-transport-vehicle-act/art-76-11), [Article 76-15](https://japanlaw.org/en/road-transport-vehicle-act/art-76-15)
- [Corporation Tax Act (法人税法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/corporation-tax-act): 6 provisions, among them [Article 13](https://japanlaw.org/en/corporation-tax-act/art-13), [Article 75-2](https://japanlaw.org/en/corporation-tax-act/art-75-2), [Article 144-8](https://japanlaw.org/en/corporation-tax-act/art-144-8)
- [Consumer Contract Act (消費者契約法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/consumer-contract-act): 5 provisions, among them [Article 13](https://japanlaw.org/en/consumer-contract-act/art-13), [Article 14](https://japanlaw.org/en/consumer-contract-act/art-14), [Article 28](https://japanlaw.org/en/consumer-contract-act/art-28)
- [Act on Proper Technical Intern Training and Protection of Technical Intern Trainees (外国人の技能実習の適正な実施及び技能実習生の保護に関する法律)](https://japanlaw.org/en/technical-intern-training-act): 4 provisions, among them [Article 65](https://japanlaw.org/en/technical-intern-training-act/art-65), [Article 66](https://japanlaw.org/en/technical-intern-training-act/art-66), [Article 101](https://japanlaw.org/en/technical-intern-training-act/art-101)
- [Real Estate Brokerage Act (宅地建物取引業法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/real-estate-brokerage-act): 4 provisions, among them [Article 51](https://japanlaw.org/en/real-estate-brokerage-act/art-51), [Article 52](https://japanlaw.org/en/real-estate-brokerage-act/art-52), [Article 59](https://japanlaw.org/en/real-estate-brokerage-act/art-59)
- [Income Tax Act (所得税法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/income-tax-act): 4 provisions, among them [Article 228-2](https://japanlaw.org/en/income-tax-act/art-228-2), [Article 228-3](https://japanlaw.org/en/income-tax-act/art-228-3), [Supplementary Provisions, Article 4](https://japanlaw.org/en/income-tax-act/suppl-4181-10/art-4)
- [Regulation for Enforcement of the Income Tax Act (所得税法施行規則)](https://japanlaw.org/en/income-tax-act-enforcement-regulation): 4 provisions, among them [Article 17](https://japanlaw.org/en/income-tax-act-enforcement-regulation/art-17), [Article 81-6](https://japanlaw.org/en/income-tax-act-enforcement-regulation/art-81-6), [Article 97-2](https://japanlaw.org/en/income-tax-act-enforcement-regulation/art-97-2)
- [Act on Special Measures Concerning Taxation (租税特別措置法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/special-taxation-measures-act): 3 provisions, among them [Article 40](https://japanlaw.org/en/special-taxation-measures-act/art-40), [Article 70-7-9](https://japanlaw.org/en/special-taxation-measures-act/art-70-7-9), [Supplementary Provisions, Article 90](https://japanlaw.org/en/special-taxation-measures-act/suppl-4181-10/art-90)
- [Regulation for Enforcement of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (出入国管理及び難民認定法施行規則)](https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act-enforcement-regulation): 2 provisions, among them [Article 19-19](https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act-enforcement-regulation/art-19-19), [Appended Table 3](https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act-enforcement-regulation/appdx-3)
- [Act to Facilitate the Employment of Persons with Disabilities (障害者の雇用の促進等に関する法律)](https://japanlaw.org/en/employment-of-persons-with-disabilities-act): 2 provisions, among them [Article 45-3](https://japanlaw.org/en/employment-of-persons-with-disabilities-act/art-45-3), [Supplementary Provisions, Article 5](https://japanlaw.org/en/employment-of-persons-with-disabilities-act/suppl-3621-41/art-5)
- [Industrial Safety and Health Act (労働安全衛生法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/industrial-safety-and-health-act): 1 provision, among them [Article 87](https://japanlaw.org/en/industrial-safety-and-health-act/art-87)
- [Employees' Pension Insurance Act (厚生年金保険法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/employees-pension-insurance-act): 1 provision, among them [Supplementary Provisions, Article 23](https://japanlaw.org/en/employees-pension-insurance-act/suppl-4241-63/art-23)
- [Civil Code (民法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/civil-code): 1 provision, among them [Article 34](https://japanlaw.org/en/civil-code/art-34)
- [Public Assistance Act (生活保護法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/public-assistance-act): 1 provision, among them [Article 41](https://japanlaw.org/en/public-assistance-act/art-41)
- [Bankruptcy Act (破産法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/bankruptcy-act): 1 provision, among them [Article 219](https://japanlaw.org/en/bankruptcy-act/art-219)
- [Act on Securing Compensation for Automobile Accidents (自動車損害賠償保障法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/automobile-accident-compensation-act): 1 provision, among them [Article 23-3](https://japanlaw.org/en/automobile-accident-compensation-act/art-23-3)

## Related

- [Shareholders meeting (株主総会, かぶぬしそうかい)](https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/shareholders-meeting)
- [Director (取締役, とりしまりやく)](https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/director)
- [Board of directors (取締役会, とりしまりやくかい)](https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/board-of-directors)

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## Sources

- Explanation: Written for this site with AI (claude-opus-5, 2026-09-18)
- Where it is used, and how often: Worked out by this site from e-Gov's text
- English names of the laws: Japanese Law Translation, Ministry of Justice (25 records)