# Director (取締役, とりしまりやく) This is the Markdown twin of https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/director. 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/director - In Japanese: https://japanlaw.org/ja/concepts/director - Written by: claude-opus-5, 2026-09-18 An officer of a stock company, elected by the shareholders meeting (Companies Act, Article 329, paragraph (1)). Every stock company has at least one (Article 326, paragraph (1)). Where there is no board of directors, the directors run the company's business unless the articles of incorporation say otherwise (Article 348, paragraph (1)), and each of them represents it unless the company has chosen representative directors (代表取締役) or others to do that (Article 349, paragraphs (1) and (3)). Where there is a board (取締役会, board of directors), the directors are its members, and the board decides the business and normally chooses the representative directors from among them (Article 362). The term normally runs to the annual shareholders meeting for the last business year ending within two years of election (Article 332, paragraph (1)). 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. 326, 329, 332, 348, 349, 362](https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/417AC0000000086) — on this site: https://japanlaw.org/en/companies-act ## Where the laws use it 26 laws in force use it in this sense, in 295 provisions; there the word opens this explanation. - [Companies Act (会社法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/companies-act): 178 provisions, among them [Article 2](https://japanlaw.org/en/companies-act/art-2), [Article 12](https://japanlaw.org/en/companies-act/art-12), [Article 17](https://japanlaw.org/en/companies-act/art-17) - [Financial Instruments and Exchange Act (金融商品取引法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/financial-instruments-and-exchange-act): 52 provisions, among them [Article 21](https://japanlaw.org/en/financial-instruments-and-exchange-act/art-21), [Article 27-20](https://japanlaw.org/en/financial-instruments-and-exchange-act/art-27-20), [Article 29-4](https://japanlaw.org/en/financial-instruments-and-exchange-act/art-29-4) - [Banking Act (銀行法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/banking-act): 13 provisions, among them [Article 7](https://japanlaw.org/en/banking-act/art-7), [Article 7-2](https://japanlaw.org/en/banking-act/art-7-2), [Article 7-3](https://japanlaw.org/en/banking-act/art-7-3) - [Payment Services Act (資金決済に関する法律)](https://japanlaw.org/en/payment-services-act): 12 provisions, among them [Article 38](https://japanlaw.org/en/payment-services-act/art-38), [Article 40](https://japanlaw.org/en/payment-services-act/art-40), [Article 56](https://japanlaw.org/en/payment-services-act/art-56) - [Act on Special Measures Concerning Taxation (租税特別措置法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/special-taxation-measures-act): 9 provisions, among them [Article 29-2](https://japanlaw.org/en/special-taxation-measures-act/art-29-2), [Article 40-3-2](https://japanlaw.org/en/special-taxation-measures-act/art-40-3-2), [Article 84-7](https://japanlaw.org/en/special-taxation-measures-act/art-84-7) - [Bankruptcy Act (破産法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/bankruptcy-act): 5 provisions, among them [Article 19](https://japanlaw.org/en/bankruptcy-act/art-19), [Article 39](https://japanlaw.org/en/bankruptcy-act/art-39), [Article 40](https://japanlaw.org/en/bankruptcy-act/art-40) - [Real Estate Brokerage Act (宅地建物取引業法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/real-estate-brokerage-act): 3 provisions, among them [Article 5](https://japanlaw.org/en/real-estate-brokerage-act/art-5), [Article 31-3](https://japanlaw.org/en/real-estate-brokerage-act/art-31-3), [Supplementary Provisions](https://japanlaw.org/en/real-estate-brokerage-act/suppl-3321-131) - [Unfair Competition Prevention Act (不正競争防止法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/unfair-competition-prevention-act): 2 provisions, among them [Article 18](https://japanlaw.org/en/unfair-competition-prevention-act/art-18), [Article 21](https://japanlaw.org/en/unfair-competition-prevention-act/art-21) - [Local Tax Act (地方税法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/local-tax-act): 2 provisions, among them [Article 406](https://japanlaw.org/en/local-tax-act/art-406), [Article 425](https://japanlaw.org/en/local-tax-act/art-425) - [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): 2 provisions, among them [Article 97-2](https://japanlaw.org/en/income-tax-act-enforcement-regulation/art-97-2), [Article 97-3](https://japanlaw.org/en/income-tax-act-enforcement-regulation/art-97-3) - [Corporation Tax Act (法人税法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/corporation-tax-act): 2 provisions, among them [Article 2](https://japanlaw.org/en/corporation-tax-act/art-2), [Article 34](https://japanlaw.org/en/corporation-tax-act/art-34) - [Long-Term Care Insurance Act (介護保険法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/long-term-care-insurance-act): 1 provision, among them [Article 70](https://japanlaw.org/en/long-term-care-insurance-act/art-70) - [Health Insurance Act (健康保険法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/health-insurance-act): 1 provision, among them [Article 53-2](https://japanlaw.org/en/health-insurance-act/art-53-2) - [Whistleblower Protection Act (公益通報者保護法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/whistleblower-protection-act): 1 provision, among them [Article 2](https://japanlaw.org/en/whistleblower-protection-act/art-2) - [Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (出入国管理及び難民認定法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act): 1 provision, among them [Article 19-26](https://japanlaw.org/en/immigration-control-act/art-19-26) - [Ministerial Order for Defining the Criteria in the Right-Hand Column of the Entry for Highly Skilled Professional in the Appended Table I(2) of the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act (出入国管理及び難民認定法別表第一の二の表の高度専門職の項の下欄の基準を定める省令)](https://japanlaw.org/en/highly-skilled-professional-criteria-ordinance): 1 provision, among them [Article 1](https://japanlaw.org/en/highly-skilled-professional-criteria-ordinance/art-1) - [Act on Ensuring the Proper Operation of Worker Dispatching Services and Protecting Dispatched Workers (労働者派遣事業の適正な運営の確保及び派遣労働者の保護等に関する法律)](https://japanlaw.org/en/worker-dispatch-act): 1 provision, among them [Article 6](https://japanlaw.org/en/worker-dispatch-act/art-6) - [Labor Relations Adjustment Act (労働関係調整法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-relations-adjustment-act): 1 provision, among them [Article 39](https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-relations-adjustment-act/art-39) - [Medical Care Act (医療法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/medical-care-act): 1 provision, among them [Article 85](https://japanlaw.org/en/medical-care-act/art-85) - [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): 1 provision, among them [Article 10](https://japanlaw.org/en/technical-intern-training-act/art-10) - [Civil Code (民法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/civil-code): 1 provision, among them [Article 465-9](https://japanlaw.org/en/civil-code/art-465-9) - [Act on Ensuring Proper Transactions Involving Specified Entrusted Business Operators (特定受託事業者に係る取引の適正化等に関する法律)](https://japanlaw.org/en/freelance-act): 1 provision, among them [Article 2](https://japanlaw.org/en/freelance-act/art-2) - [Act on Specified Commercial Transactions (特定商取引に関する法律)](https://japanlaw.org/en/specified-commercial-transactions-act): 1 provision, among them [Article 8](https://japanlaw.org/en/specified-commercial-transactions-act/art-8) - [Employment Security Act (職業安定法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/employment-security-act): 1 provision, among them [Article 5-6](https://japanlaw.org/en/employment-security-act/art-5-6) - [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 91](https://japanlaw.org/en/automobile-accident-compensation-act/art-91) - [Road Traffic Act (道路交通法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/road-traffic-act): 1 provision, among them [Article 51-8](https://japanlaw.org/en/road-traffic-act/art-51-8) ## Related - [Articles of incorporation (定款, ていかん)](https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/articles-of-incorporation) - [Shareholders meeting (株主総会, かぶぬしそうかい)](https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/shareholders-meeting) - [Board of directors (取締役会, とりしまりやくかい)](https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/board-of-directors) - [Company auditor (監査役, かんさやく)](https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/company-auditor) --- ## 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 (26 records)