# Shareholders meeting (株主総会, かぶぬしそうかい)

This is the Markdown twin of https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/shareholders-meeting. 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/shareholders-meeting
- In Japanese: https://japanlaw.org/ja/concepts/shareholders-meeting
- Written by: claude-opus-5, 2026-09-18

The meeting of a stock company's shareholders, and the body through which they decide the company's basic matters. It elects the directors and company auditors (Companies Act, Article 329, paragraph (1)) and changes the articles of incorporation (Article 466). In a company without a board of directors it may decide any matter about the company; in one with a board, only what the Act or the articles of incorporation leave to it (Article 295). An annual shareholders meeting must be called after the end of every business year, and another may be called whenever needed (Article 296). A resolution normally passes by a majority of the votes present, with holders of a majority of the votes entitled to vote attending (Article 309, 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. 295, 296, 309, 329, 466](https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/417AC0000000086) — on this site: https://japanlaw.org/en/companies-act

## Where the laws use it

10 laws in force use it in this sense, in 236 provisions; there the word opens this explanation.

- [Companies Act (会社法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/companies-act): 202 provisions, among them [Article 2](https://japanlaw.org/en/companies-act/art-2), [Article 44](https://japanlaw.org/en/companies-act/art-44), [Article 72](https://japanlaw.org/en/companies-act/art-72)
- [Financial Instruments and Exchange Act (金融商品取引法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/financial-instruments-and-exchange-act): 17 provisions, among them [Article 24-6](https://japanlaw.org/en/financial-instruments-and-exchange-act/art-24-6), [Article 29-4](https://japanlaw.org/en/financial-instruments-and-exchange-act/art-29-4), [Article 57-10](https://japanlaw.org/en/financial-instruments-and-exchange-act/art-57-10)
- [Banking Act (銀行法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/banking-act): 7 provisions, among them [Article 2](https://japanlaw.org/en/banking-act/art-2), [Article 34](https://japanlaw.org/en/banking-act/art-34), [Article 35](https://japanlaw.org/en/banking-act/art-35)
- [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 66-4-4](https://japanlaw.org/en/special-taxation-measures-act/art-66-4-4), [Article 70-7](https://japanlaw.org/en/special-taxation-measures-act/art-70-7), [Article 70-7-5](https://japanlaw.org/en/special-taxation-measures-act/art-70-7-5)
- [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 61-2](https://japanlaw.org/en/corporation-tax-act/art-61-2)
- [Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations (不当景品類及び不当表示防止法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/premiums-and-representations-act): 1 provision, among them [Article 12](https://japanlaw.org/en/premiums-and-representations-act/art-12)
- [Income Tax Act (所得税法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/income-tax-act): 1 provision, among them [Article 57-4](https://japanlaw.org/en/income-tax-act/art-57-4)
- [Act on Special Measures for Securing the Financial Resources Necessary to Implement Measures for Reconstruction following the Great East Japan Earthquake (東日本大震災からの復興のための施策を実施するために必要な財源の確保に関する特別措置法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/reconstruction-funding-act): 1 provision, among them [Article 4](https://japanlaw.org/en/reconstruction-funding-act/art-4)
- [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)
- [Bankruptcy Act (破産法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/bankruptcy-act): 1 provision, among them [Article 5](https://japanlaw.org/en/bankruptcy-act/art-5)

## Related

- [Articles of incorporation (定款, ていかん)](https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/articles-of-incorporation)
- [Company auditor (監査役, かんさやく)](https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/company-auditor)
- [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)

---

## 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 (9 records)
- English names of the laws: Written for this site with AI